Name: Victoria Nolan
Sport: Paralympic Rowing
Hometown: Toronto, ON
Nickname: Metronome
Favorite Sports Memory: Winning the World Championships in 2010
How you got involved in your sport: To fight my disability I decided to try a sport, Adaptive Rowing gave me the confidence to fight the limitations of vision loss and the motivation to push the physical limits of my body.
The moment you knew you wanted to represent Canada: The first time I painted the red Maple Leaf logo on my blade was one of the proudest moments in my life.
Favorite Quote: “You don’t have to see to have vision.”
CAN Fund Testimonial: There are many barriers to being an elite athlete. There are many barriers to someone with a disability. To be an elite athlete with a disability would be impossible without the support of organizations like CAN Fund, thank you for making our dreams a reality.
Best Result: World Champions 2010 and world record holders since 2010.
Share one valuable tool that you use on a daily basis that helps you to be the best athlete you can be: You don’t win a medal on the day of the competition, it’s each and every day that you sacrifice something to train a little bit longer or a little bit harder. That hard work goes into the bank and you cash it in on the day of your competition.
Who is one person in your life that has impacted your career and what was it that they taught you? My husband, Eamonn, has given me never ending support. He gives me encouragement, he drives me to practices/appointments/training camps, he is a fantastic “single dad” to our kids when I’m away, he promotes our team and builds our fan base and he has put his career on hold to support my dream of winning a medal in 2012. He has taught me that success comes from the people you live with.
Have you read any articles or books or watched any videos or movies recently that really inspired you? Nike commercial – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obdd31Q9PqA
Fun Facts:
I failed gym all through school and never played team sports because I didn’t have support for my vision loss.
I joined my first team (rowing) when I was 31 years old!
My guide dog Vegas gets nervous if he sees me going on the water. He has to stay at home so he doesn’t see!
My son Tarabh (9) and daughter Ceili (7) are superstar hockey players – mom competes on liquid water and my kids and husband like frozen water
