Olympic rower Jenny Casson looks to inspire as a KidSport GV ambassador
VICTORIA, British Columbia — Jennifer (Jenny) Casson’s Olympic journey started (relatively) late. Growing up in Kingston, Ontario, Jenny “was always trying to do as many sports as possible,” and enjoyed the self-confidence they provided. She “became quite good at running,” but stress fractures prevented Jenny from continuing; that’s when her coach encouraged Jenny to try rowing. Even though it wasn’t her first choice, rowing taught Jenny that, “there really is a sport for everyone.”
Jenny grew to love rowing (after she got over the initial shock of early-morning training), and qualified for a college scholarship, rowing crew in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She asked herself, “‘I wonder how far I could take this?’” So, she tried out for Rowing Canada, and made the cut—which brought her to Victoria.
Jenny competed for Canada in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she and teammate Jill Moffatt placed 12th in the Lightweight Double Sculls. “It was my first Olympics, so that was very nerve-wracking; we didn’t perform as well as we wanted to,” Jenny said, “But the Olympics themselves were definitely what dreams are made of.”
This summer, she returned to Kingston to coach her former high school team. “It was so rewarding,” Jenny said. When she moved back to Victoria, Jenny wanted to find another way to get involved in youth sport, “and I came across KidSport.” So, she reached out to KidSport Greater Victoria’s (KidSport GV) Executive Director, Jill Shaw, and became an athlete ambassador.
KidSport is a national, non-profit organization with local chapters that provide grants to cover community sport fees. KidSport GV “is one of the three biggest chapters in the country, in terms of the number of kids that we reach,” Jill explained, and they aim to support every eligible child and youth who applies: “We don’t want anybody stuck on the sidelines as a result of financial barriers.” They cover registration fees at “about 200 local sport organizations,” and this year, they aim to provide grants to approximately 1,000 children.
Athlete ambassadors “advocate for our organization, and just help build awareness,” Jill said. Jenny became an ambassador because, her “passion has always been in sport,” and she wants to encourage young athletes while removing the mystique that surrounds Olympians. “When I was young, I thought Olympians were like untouchable gods,” Jenny explained, but “we all started somewhere.”
Sport is essential “to confidence-building, and perseverance and teamwork,” Jill said, whether or not children continue on to the Olympics, “those lessons that they learn are very transferrable to their academic and work lives.” When KidSport sponsors a child, “nobody knows that they’re a KidSport-funded kid,” Jill added; they are just another member of the team. KidSport GV supports many Indigenous and newcomer children: “The fact that we can help to make more diverse and inclusive teams is to the benefit of everybody,” Jill said, “It really enables a broader community connection—not just for the children who are being funded, but for their families and the whole community.”
Now that COVID restrictions are easing, “more families are in financial need than there were pre-pandemic, and we expect that demand for our help to just continue to rise,” Jill said. Support (in every form) is always welcome, and as KidSport GV begins to host in-person fundraising events again, there are “lots of different ways for people to potentially get involved.” For more information, visit www.kidsportvictoria.ca.
Currently, Jenny is busy training, and has her sights set on the 2024 Paris Olympics. Though Rowing Canada is relocating to Duncan, Jenny has fallen in love with Victoria, and will be back any chance she gets—especially to support KidSport GV. “My priority will be to attend as many [KidSport] events as possible,” Jenny said, “and get the word out wherever I can.”
This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.
