Rachelle Viinberg (née De Jong, born April 30, 1979) is a retired

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 ...

Olympic rower and naturopathic doctor who currently resides in

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. She was a member of the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Canadian Olympic Rowing teams. In 2012, she won her first Olympic medal, a silver, in the Women's Eight. Her team were beaten by Team USA by just 1.4 seconds.

Early life

Viinberg was born in

Nanaimo Nanaimo ( ) is a city on the east coast of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. As of the Canada 2021 Census, 2021 census, it had a population of 99,863, and it is known as "The Harbour City." The city was previously known as the "H ...

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, located on Vancouver Island. She has an older brother named Simon. Her mother, June de Jong (née Mayhew) is an actress. Her father, Hielke de Jong, who died December 7, 2009, was a retired government employee. Viinberg's ancestry includes Dutch, English, and Ukrainian. At the age of eight, Viinberg and her family moved to

Regina, Saskatchewan Regina () is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province, after Saskatoon, and is a commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. As of the 2021 C ...

. She attended Argyle Elementary school and graduated from Sheldon Williams Collegiate in 1997. Viinberg wasn't always a rower. From the moment she saw Calgary Olympian Mark Tewksbury win the 100-metre backstroke at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, she aspired to be a swimmer. Once adolescence hit at 13, however, Viinberg underwent a massive growth spurt, preventing her from pursuing the sport much further. Ultimately, it was Viinberg's parents who introduced her to rowing. “They helped me discover rowing after seeing all the rowers train every morning on Wascana Lake when they drove to work. I thought I had nothing to lose, and my 6’0 frame seemed to be the ideal body type,” said Viinberg.

Olympics

In 2004 Viinberg made her first Olympic team in Athens, Greece. In 2008 Viinberg was selected to compete in the Women's Quad at the Beijing Olympic Games. When one of the members of the crew was suffering with a rib fracture, the team achieved an eighth-place finish.

Personal life

Viinberg married her husband, Alex, in 2009 after meeting in 2005. He proposed on the Great Wall of China after the 2008 Olympic Games. She attributes much of her success to his support. In 2009 Viinberg's father died from leukemia. Eighteen months later, her mother was diagnosed with Stage 3C colon cancer. When asked about her mom after the race, she replied, "She battled stage three colon cancer so she could be in the stands to watch me perform my dream. We both achieved our goals."

Key results

* 2012 – 2nd in the W8+, Olympic Games, London, GBR * 2012 – 1st in the W8+, World Cup, Munich, Germany * 2012 – 2nd in the W8+, World Cup, Lucerne, Switzerland * 2011 – 2nd in the W8+, World Championship, Bled, Slovenia * 2011 – 2nd in the W8+, World Cup, Lucerne, Switzerland * 2010 – 2nd in the W8+, World Rowing Championships, New Zealand * 2008 – 8th in the Olympic quad, Beijing, China * 2007 – 5th in the W4x, World Championships, Munich, Germany * 2006 – 7th in the W4x, World Championships, Eton, England * 2004 – Alternate on Olympic team in Athens, Greece * 2003 – 4th in the W4-, World Championships, Milan, Italy * 2002 – 2nd in the W4-, World Championships, Seville, Spain * 2002 – 6th in the W8+, World Championships, Seville, Spain * 2002 – 4th in the W8+, World Cup, Munich, Germany * 2001 – 2nd in the W2-, US Nationals, Camden, New Jersey * 2000 – 1st in the W8+, Women's Henley, Henley-on-Thames, England * 2000 – 2nd in the W8+, Henley Royal Regatta, Henley-on-Thames, England * 1997 – 1st in the W4- and 2nd in the W8+, Jeux Canada Games, Brandon, Manitoba

References

External links

Rowing Canada Results Record
{{DEFAULTSORT:Viinberg, Rachelle 1979 births Living people Olympic rowers of Canada Rowers at the 2008 Summer Olympics Rowers at the 2012 Summer Olympics Canadian people of Dutch descent Olympic silver medalists for Canada Olympic medalists in rowing Canadian female rowers Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics Canadian people of English descent Canadian people of Ukrainian descent Sportspeople from Nanaimo University of Victoria alumni Naturopaths World Rowing Championships medalists for Canada