Janine Stephens (
née Hanson; December 14, 1982) is a former
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
rower
Rowing, sometimes called crew in the United States, is the sport of racing boats using oars. It differs from paddling sports in that rowing oars are attached to the boat using oarlocks, while paddles are not connected to the boat. Rowing is ...
from
Winnipeg
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749, ...
on the Canadian National team. Stephens won the silver medal at the
2012 Summer Olympics in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
as part of the women's eights rowing team. She also has two World Championship silver medals to her credit, also in the women's eights.
Career
Early Career
Stephens began rowing after being invited to try rowing by a former member of the National Rowing Team while in a karate class in 2000. At the 2001 Canada Summer Games, she earned two bronze medals.
College Rowing
From 2002 to 2006, Stephens raced for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbour, Michigan. There, she won two Big 10 Championships and had two top-five finishes at the NCAA Championships. In 2006, she was a First Team All Big 10 Honoree and won the Big 10 Sportsmanship Award.
International Rowing
Her career began as a sculler for Canada and her first major international competition came at the
2008 Summer Olympics. There, she finished in 8th place in the women's quad sculls. Stephens then transitioned to the sweep from the scull, she had not rowed in the sweeping technique since her early college days.
This led to her finding success at the 2010 World Rowing Championships, where she won a silver medal in the women's eight. She won the silver medal again in the women's eight 2011 World Rowing Championships. Stephens final competition was during the 2012 Olympic Games as the bow seat in the 8+. Her success in the women's eights ensured her seat at the 2012 Summer Olympics. There at the Eton Lake Rowing Centre she and the rest of the Canadian crew finished in the silver medal position behind the U.S. boat.
Coaching
Leading up to the 2017 Canada Summer Games, Stephens was announced as the head coach for the Manitoba Rowing Association. The Manitoba Team managed 1 Gold, 2 Bronze and 6 total top 5 finishes, a best-ever showing for Manitoba Rowing.
In 2019, Stephens was announced as the winner of Rowing Canada's President's Award for her dedication to the sport of Rowing.
Personal
Stephens was born in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
to Canadian parents. Her parents returned to Winnipeg when she was two years old. She grew up in Winnipeg and trained for the national team in
London, Ontario
London (pronounced ) is a city in southwestern Ontario, Canada, along the Quebec City–Windsor Corridor. The city had a population of 422,324 according to the 2021 Canadian census. London is at the confluence of the Thames River, approximate ...
.
[ Stephens has now retired from competitive rowing, returned to Winnipeg, and was married on February 16, 2013. She has a degree in movement science from the ]University of Michigan
, mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth"
, former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821)
, budget = $10.3 billion (2021)
, endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...
. Upon retiring from competitive rowing, Stephens became the spokesperson for the Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Commission.
Honours
In 2012 Stephens was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (french: Médaille du jubilé de diamant de la reine Elizabeth II) or The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal was a commemorative medal created in 2012 to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's ...
.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hanson, Janine
1982 births
Canadian female rowers
Olympic rowers for Canada
Rowers from London, Ontario
Rowers from Winnipeg
Rowers at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Rowers at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Living people
Olympic silver medalists for Canada
Olympic medalists in rowing
Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Canadian expatriates in the United States
University of Michigan School of Kinesiology alumni
World Rowing Championships medalists for Canada
21st-century Canadian women