Voted Canada’s best female curler in history, Jennifer Jones is making her second Olympic appearance at the 2022 Games, with her eye on gold. At the 2014 Olympics, Jennifer became the first female skip in history to go through the Games undefeated. Her team won all 11 games to come home with Gold. In 2022, Jennifer has another chance to make history.
At 47 years old, Jennifer is Canada’s oldest female Olympian of any sport at the 2022 Games. If she makes it to the podium, Jennifer could also become the oldest woman to win a medal in any sport from any nation. Having missed the 2018 Games after losing at the Olympic Trials, Jennifer is excited to represent Canada again on the international stage.
“I started curling because I loved the game, and I thought if I could just compete in one [national championship], my dreams would come true,” she said in an interview with NBC Sports. “Here we are going to the Olympics twice. How lucky are we?”
There are high hopes for Jennifer’s team in 2022, with three out of the four 2014 gold medalists returning. Until 2018, Canada has been a medalist in every Olympic curling tournament since it returned as a medal sport in 1998. Team Canada failed to make the podium in both the men’s and women’s events at the 2018 Sochi Games but did win a gold in mixed doubles.
“We can’t guarantee the outcome, but I can guarantee to all of Canada that we are going to leave it all out on the ice and not be scared to lose and we’re just going to try our very best to win and try to do Canada proud,” Jennifer said in an interview with TSN.
Jennifer’s journey to the 2022 Olympics has been very different from her 2014 experience, with the Beijing Games having the strictest COVID protocols. Last time, Jennifer’s pre-Olympic time was spent competing, practicing, and meeting a lot of people as part of Team Canada. This time around, Jennifer hasn’t competed since late November 2021 and her Olympic prep involved a lot more isolation.
With half the team in Manitoba and the other half in Ontario, Jennifer has only practiced with teammate Dawn McEwan throughout the wave of Omicron. Both she and her family have had to adhere to the strictest isolation rules to ensure that Jennifer would be safe to attend the Beijing Games. This means having to balance home school and remote learning alongside training for the 2022 Olympics.
Despite the complications, logistical nightmares, and having to travel solo to Beijing without their families, Jennifer and her team say they are ready.
“I don’t ever want to sound like we’re complaining,” Jennifer told Winnipeg Free Press in an interview. “We’re super grateful and we never will complain. That’s one of our strongest attributes. We’re taking everything as it comes, and leaving every meeting with a smile and gratitude for the opportunity to represent Canada at the Olympics… if this is what it’s going to take, this is what it’s going to take.”
A natural leader, Jennifer Jones’ innovative strategies have changed the face of women’s curling. In her keynotes, she draws on her unprecedented Olympic experiences to share her winning approach to leadership, teamwork, determination, and performing under pressure.
Interested in learning more about Jennifer and what she can bring to your next event as a keynote speaker? Email us at [email protected].
