FALL RIVER: Sloan MacKenzie, Olympian.
“It doesn’t even sound real yet,” chuckled MacKenzie when asked what that sounds like to her during an interview with The Laker News.
“It sounds weird saying it out loud, but it’s amazing.”
While MacKenzie and C2, 500-metre partner Katie Vincent have known since the end of May they would be representing Canada at the Paris 2024 Olympics, the official word came when Canoe Kayak Canada announced the Paris 2024 team on June 24 after trials in Montreal, Que.
MacKenzie, who calls Windsor Junction home, and Vincent qualified the C2 boat for an Olympic quota spot last year.
But that didn’t mean they got to go, they had tor ace well and get good results, which they did, leading to Canoe Kayak Canada naming them for the C2 boat.
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MacKenzie’s excitement oozed from her as she spoke inside the Fall River Dairy Queen on Tuesday afternoon after her second practice of the day in Waverley at her home club Cheema Aquatic Club.
“I think it’s a dream for any athlete since being a little kid (to make the Olympics),” said MacKenzie, a Lockview High alum. “I can’t believe it’s come true. I’m so grateful and so excited.
“I have everyone to thank, my family, my friends, my past coaches, my current coaches, all of our staff and anyone who has been part of the journey along the way.
She said being named to the Olympic team officially with Vincent will allow the duo to showcase to the world why they are wearing the Maple Leaf on the biggest stage.
“It means we get to show the hard work, the dedication, and all the time and effort we put in the past how many ever years of training,” said MacKenzie. “It’s the greatest honour to represent Canada at the biggest games of the year.”
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Because the last Olympics was pushed out a year due to the pandemic, that’s meant there’s only been three years in between. During that time, MacKenize and Vincent have been busy.
“The past three years have been incredibly hard with training, sometimes training four times a day, normally with Sunday off depending on the time of the year,” said MacKenzie.
“It’s a lot of work. It’s a lot of sacrifice, but it’s all worth it in the end to be able to compete at the Olympics.”
She is already envisioning lining up on the race course with thousands of fans screaming and cheering along it—and more back home in Windsor Junction and Cheema—for the big race.
“Thinking about lining up on the race course I definitely have some butterflies going on, but I’m very excited,” said MacKenzie.
She and Katie already have their mindset on what they want to achieve in Paris 2024.
“Katie and I, my C2 partner, we’re going to go for gold and just give it our all,” she said confidently.
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MacKenzie was asked how she can work to temper her nervousness to put that into energy she can use as they canoe down the race course.
“I have some mental performance tricks that I work on for sure,” she said. “I like to hum to myself in my head some Taylor Swift songs before racing just to not think about racing until its go time.”
She said Vincent is helping her prepare for her first-ever Olympic games. Vincent medalled with a teammate in the C2, 500-metres at the Tokyo Olympics bringing home bronze.
“She has been a mentor and giving me tips, tricks, and really good advice to prepare,” said MacKenzie.
The support has been great from the community back home here in Fall River and area.
“I am just so grateful so many people are in my corner, and not only my family and friends, my club Cheema, my coaches,” she said. “They all have been so helpful, so amazing.
“I’m so excited.”
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She was asked what type of message it sends young athletes when she is from a small town like Windsor Junction and has made it to the Olympics.
“I think it shows that it’s possible for anyone,” she said.
“If you want it bad enough and you put in the work, why can’t it be you? It has to be somebody.
“I say just go for it, give it your best, and you never know what will happen.”
MacKenzie and Vincent compete during the second week of the Olympic games Aug 6-10. Their dates they are scheduled to compete are Aug 6 and Aug. 9. The duo will get to attend the closing ceremonies since they’re competing in the second week.
Also named to the Olympic team from the local area were from Cheema assistant coach Anna Hetzler, formerly of Fall River but now calls Waverley home; and Michelle Russell of Fall River who now competes out of Abenaki. Russell will compete in women’s kayak events.
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Canoe Kayak Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee, and the Canadian Paralympic Committee announced the roster of Team Canada Canoe/Kayak
The list of athletes nominated to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games:
Women’s Canoe
Sophia Jensen – Cascades (besides Vincent and MacKenzie)
Women’s Kayak
Toshka Besharah-Hrebacka – Rideau Canoe Club
Natalie Davison – Rideau Canoe Club
Riley Melanson – Senobe Aquatic Club
Michelle Russell – Abenaki Aquatic Club
Courtney Stott – Balmy Beach Canoe Club
Men’s Canoe
Connor Fitzpatrick – Senobe Aquatic Club
Men’s Kayak
Laurent Lavigne – Club de canoe-kayak de vitesse de Trois-Rivières
Nicholas Matveev – Balmy Beach Canoe Club
Simon McTavish – Mississauga Canoe Club
Pierre-Luc Poulin – Club de Canoe-Kayak Lac Beauport
Para Athletes
Brianna Hennessy – Ottawa River Canoe Club
Erica Scarff – Mississauga Canoe Club
Mathieu St-Pierre – Club de canotage du Shawinigan
The athletes were selected for Team Canada based on their performances at Canoe Kayak Canada’s Sprint National Team Trials that were held at the Montreal Olympic Basin over the weekend.
Russell will make her second Olympic appearance. She competed in the women’s K-1 200m, K-1 500m and K-4 500m at Tokyo 2020.
She won gold in K-1 500m at Santiago 2023, qualified Canada an Olympic spot in the K-1 500m by placing sixth at the 2023 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships.
