Hi, I’m Jill — a two-time Olympian, gender equity advocate, and PhD student researching the stories we tell (and don’t tell) about women in sport.
My Journey
I grew up in Bethany, a small town outside of Peterborough, Ontario, and discovered rowing during university—a passion that eventually took me to the Tokyo and Paris Olympic Games as a proud member of Team Canada.
Alongside sport, I began writing as a journalist, drawn to stories at the intersection of gender, health, and sport. A feature article I wrote on athlete motherhood sparked a series of powerful conversations with athlete moms and revealed the structural gaps facing elite women athletes in Canada. That experience deepened my interest in reproductive agency and how women navigate family planning in high-performance sport.
I pursued a Master’s in Health Information Science, where I researched how a women’s non-profit organization used storytelling to shape health and social policy. This work cemented my belief in the power of narrative to create meaningful change.
Today, as a PhD student in sociocultural sport studies at Laurentian University, I study how media representations influence the public and institutional understanding of elite athlete motherhood. I also co-founded MOMentum, an initiative supporting Canadian athlete moms and advocating for a more inclusive and equitable sport system.
Research
My research explores the sociocultural dimensions of sport, with a focus on how media representations shape the narratives, identities, and opportunities of elite women athletes—particularly mothers.
As a PhD student at Laurentian University, I study the ways stories about athlete motherhood are told, who tells them, and how these narratives influence both public perception and institutional decision-making in sport. I’m especially interested in how reproductive agency—the ability for women to plan for and pursue both motherhood and elite sport—is supported or constrained by sport systems in Canada.
My work builds on my Master’s research, which examined how a women’s non-profit organization used storytelling to influence health and social policy. Across all of my work, I explore how stories can drive structural change.
Mission
I believe in a sport system where women don’t have to choose between performance and parenthood, and where gender equity is more than a buzzword—it’s embedded in policy, culture, and everyday practice.
Through my academic research, advocacy, and writing, I aim to challenge outdated norms, spotlight underrepresented voices, and contribute to a more inclusive and supportive environment for women in sport—from grassroots to the podium.
Whether it's shifting media narratives, rethinking funding models, or elevating the lived experiences of athlete mothers, my mission is to help create a sport culture where all women can thrive.