You’d never know Olympian Jill Moffatt, BHSc’16, MHIS’19, started rowing because she was handed a flyer while working out at Western Student Recreation Centre as an undergraduate.
She had no experience at all with the sport.
It turned out to be a pivotal moment.
“I happened to be at the gym when the varsity team was handing out flyers for their novice team tryouts,” Moffatt said. “I’m so lucky that I tried out for the team, it completely changed my life.”
Jill Moffatt
Moffatt became a member of the Western Mustangs varsity rowing team from 2012 to 2017 and led the squad as team captain from 2014 to 2016. She earned her way to the top as 2014 Canadian University Rowing Champion and was named the 2014 Ontario and Canadian national oarswoman of the year.
Now she’s heading to the 2024 Summer Games in Paris – just three years after making her Olympic debut in Tokyo – as part of the Canadian rowing team, alongside fellow Western grad Cassidy Deane. Moffatt is competing in the lightweight women’s double sculls, and Deane, MA’22, is an alternate athlete for the women’s eight.
Matthew Waddell, coach of Western Mustangs women’s rowing, praised both grads for their character and athletic skills.
“They both left performance records within our programs that athletes today measure themselves against, and are inspirations for future generations of Western student-athletes,” said Waddell.
Moffatt was a strong leader, championing charitable causes and community involvement during her time with the Mustangs. Deane has a “relentless drive for self-improvement” that she channels into pure focus during practices, Waddell said.
‘Fight tooth and nail’
Like Moffatt, Deane began rowing during as an undergraduate – she studied at Queen’s University – after coming across the rowing team recruiting for their novice program. She joined the Western Mustangs rowing team from 2019 to 2021 while she earned a master’s degree in management and leadership in kinesiology.
Both women expressed gratitude for the role the Mustangs played in launching their rowing careers and providing lifelong friendships.
“The team fostered a great high-performance environment and became my stepping stone from the university level to the national team,” Deane said.
The Olympic Games start July 27, with the opening ceremony on July 26, and run until August 11. Regular rowing events take place from July 27 to 30, with medal events will take place from July 31 to August 3.
“We plan to go into Paris with the determination that we are in control of what happens next. We’re going to give it everything we have and fight tooth and nail each time we are at the start line,” Moffatt said.
She takes her passion from the boat to the classroom, where Moffatt is studying gender equity in sport and women’s health. She helped launch a new initiative called MOMentum, to provide resources for elite Canadian women athletes as they balance family planning with their careers in sport. Moffatt has also shared about her own health journey on her path to the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games.
“As I learn more about the gaps in research on elite women athletes (and by women researchers), I’m inspired to be a part of the solution,” Moffatt said.
Intense preparation for Paris
The Canadian rowing team has been training in Corgeno, Italy since mid-June, competing against the Norwegian and Australian teams in certain sessions.
Deane described an intense winter of training, with 26 hours of workouts weekly – on top of training meetings, physio, mobility and more.
“We have made a big push into this summer and have been training hard to dial in the final touches,” she said.
Growing up in Whistler, B.C., Deane always hoped to make it to the Olympics, but she pictured doing it in the cold.
“I have dreamt about being an Olympic ski racer since I could remember, so it is a little funny that I am part of a summer sport now.”
It’s a privilege to compete for Team Canada, Moffatt and Deane agreed.
“We are excited to give everything we have, knowing we are representing our rowing communities back home,” Moffatt said.
Read more about Western’s connections at the 2024 Olympics.
Mustangs at the Paris 2024 Olympics – Western Mustangs Sports
