First Time Olympians Series

Welcome to our new profile series highlighting Ontario's first time Olympic and Paralympic qualifiers who will be in Paris this summer.

It may be crystal clear to some.

Truth be told, not everything in life comes easy – and that includes the competitiveness in the world of sport.

There are defining moments alright and trigger points that can either be the standard expectations of an athlete or even the overwhelming pressure to reach for the top.

When the major events come to fruition, some refer to it as – show time. But there is always a combination of tension, anxiety, and stressful moments. That holds true for all athletes and that includes those focussed on achieving success in Canadian championships.

There is also something called the Olympics. It’s the world’s foremost sports competition. A showcase featuring the best of the best.

Stressful times for some. Intimidating for others. A monumental challenge.

It’s that boost of energy and confidence for young athletes, the physicality of being prepared and then getting psychologically pumped for an event, one that can take years of preparation and minutes to draw a single conclusion. Accolades don’t come easy, and so dealing with stress and pressure is very important.

Ella Jansen knows all about staying confident and focussed. She’s loaded with passion, exertion, and the excitement of striving to be the best. A superb swimmer and a record-holder, Jansen is also a first time Olympian.

The 18-year-old, a graduate of Notre Dame Catholic Secondary in Burlington, is soon to embark on a full athletic scholarship to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. The plan is to study psychology, earn a degree, focus on a career, and compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association – the cream of the crop of university sports in the world.

For now, Jansen has one thing in mind – doing her best at the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad set for Paris this summer. It’s a dream come true for some, a thrill - but also a gut-wrenching experience.

At the Olympic Trials in Toronto, Jansen finished the 400-metres individual medley race clocked in four minutes, 38.8 seconds. However, she set the Olympic standard a year earlier with a personal best time of 4:37.2 at the World Aquatics Junior championships in Netanya, Israel.

A top-notch competitor, Jansen isn’t new to major international events, having competed in 2023, in Japan at the World Aquatics finals and in Birmingham, England at the Commonwealth Games in 2022. She has medals that go with huge achievements in the water.

In the early months of 2024, Jansen, again was at the World Aquatics showcase. This time in Doha, Qatar, but she wasn’t happy with her results. This wasn’t a time to re-set goals, but instead to focus on resilience, deal with adjustments, and strengthen her courage and tenacity.

So, she chose to do something about it.

“My performances were not very good, and I knew they could be better,” she said. “I decided to have a series of weekly meetings with a psychologist to work on the mental aspect of swimming and it has really helped me.”

If her achievements at the Olympic qualifiers were any indication, Jansen is on a roll.

“I am really excited to get to experience the excitement of the (Olympic) Games - and qualifying was a huge moment of relief,” said Jansen.

While there have been personal peaks, Jansen has also had some tough challenges.

Motivated and admirable, Jansen is open-minded and means business when she competes in the pool. She also likes to have some fun – as in collecting pins from meets to add to her swim bag collection.

Jansen started competitive swimming at age seven with the Burlington Aquatic Devilrays. At age 10, she set a club record in the 400-metres freestyle. That may very well have been the time when, realizing there was immense potential, she took swimming seriously. She then swam with the Etobicoke Swim Club starting in 2019.

“I remember watching Penny (Oleksiak) in 2016, I was 11 years old and really inspired by her,” said Jansen, during a conversation that focussed on her making the Paris Games.

At age 13, Jansen qualified for the Canadian Junior Nationals in Calgary.

Now, as a member of the High-Performance Centre – Ontario, Jansen is setting the standard for other younger swimmers by incorporating countless hours of training, benefitting from strong coaching, and tapping into the support network needed to excel.

David Grossman is a veteran multi award-winning Journalist and Broadcaster with some of Canada’s major media, including the Toronto Star and SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN, and a Public Relations professional for 50+ years in Canadian sports and Government relations.