Former Catholic school student takes home Olympic bronze medal

In the wake of her Olympic bronze metal finish the camera zoomed in on Hillary Janssens as she leaned backwards into the arms of her rowing partner, Caileigh Filmer. Joy and relief are clearly evident on her face.

There were uncertainties going into Tokyo 2020. The games were postponed due to the COVID pandemic, and Janssens was keenly aware that she might not get another chance at Olympic competition if they were canceled outright.

Thankfully the bronze finish was the capstone to an athletic career that includes seven years of international competition and numerous medals and accolades for Janssens, including a gold medal finish at the 2018 World Cup in Belgrade.

At the core of her competitive spirit is a farmer’s work ethic and an appreciation for the dignity of her co-competitors. Originally from Cloverdale, Janssens grew up on a local dairy farm where she learned the value of hard work.

“Growing up on a farm, just watching my parents go to work every day of the year, no sick days, very few holidays; I was just raised with a sense of showing up and doing your job, and not complaining about it,” Janssens said.

She attended Cloverdale Catholic Elementary School as a child, and her Catholic upbringing shaped her competitive ethos.

“The biggest crossover for me [between my faith and competition was] just operating on a team and how I view my teammates and treat my teammates and how I view my competitors: in a fundamentally kind way knowing that everyone is God’s children.”

Janssens discovered rowing in her first year of study at the University of British Columbia after the disappointment of not making the basketball team. Rowing seemed like a good place to make some friends and connect with the school community.

She enjoyed rowing and appreciated how quickly her skills developed. It integrated well with the work ethic she inherited from her parents.

“The best thing about rowing for me was the first relationship between hard work and improvement,” Janssens told The B.C. Catholic. Hard work meant concrete results.

The final Olympic race was a tight competition. During the race, an early lead gave way to third place, but Janssens is grateful.

If the Olympics had been canceled, Janssens feels that all her hard work would have been for naught. She knows that for many athletes the Olympics are the last hurrah, and being able to participate felt like a gift.

Now that the competition is over and she is back from Tokyo, Janssens is looking toward the future and transitioning into the next phase of her life. Having completed an undergraduate biology degree, she is in the process of applying for medical school where she will be able to see the dignity of others in new ways.

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