Rachelle Viinberg

Rachelle Viinberg
Personal information
Born 30 April 1979
Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) (2012)
Weight 160 lb (73 kg) (2012)
Website www.rachelleviinberg.ca
Sport
Country Canada
Retired 2012

Rachelle Viinberg (née De Jong, born April 30, 1979) is a retired Canadian Olympic rower and Naturopathic Doctor who currently resides in Toronto, Ontario.[1] She was a member of the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Canadian Olympic Rowing teams. In 2012 she won her first Olympic medal in the Women’s Eight, where they were second to Team USA by 1.4 seconds.

Early life

Viinberg was born in Nanaimo, British Columbia, 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 Dec. 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. 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.[2]

Olympics

In 2004 Viinberg made her first Olympic team in Athens, Greece. She was not satisfied with her position of being a spare, and pursued another four years of rowing. 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 did their best with an eighth place finish. Unsatisfied, Viinberg pursued an additional four years of rowing in hope of being on the Olympic podium. She qualified once again for the 2012 Olympic Rowing Team, and won a silver medal in the Women’s eight. When asked about her team’s performance against the Americans, Viinberg replied, “They are an extraordinary crew and I tip my hat to an amazing performance by them. I’m so proud of how we did. We were up against a [U.S.] program that throws a lot of money into rowing development, and we gave it our all. There are no regrets, and I’m so happy with how we executed our race plan.”[3] Viinberg retired from rowing after this final race to pursue her career as a Naturopathic Doctor.

Education

In 2005 Viinberg graduated from the University of Victoria with a BSc in Biology. That same year, she was accepted into a four year post-secondary medical program at the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine. She graduated in 2010 as a Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine after taking one year off for the Beijing Olympics, and completed her Naturopathic Physicians Licensing Exam that same year. Viinberg confesses that going through such a vigorous program while training was one of the most challenging points of her life.

Private Practice

Immediately after the 2012 Olympics, Viinberg started her private practice as a Naturopathic Doctor in Toronto, Ontario. She works with elite athletes and business professionals on a regular basis, with a focus on athletic performance, weight management, pain management and hormonal balancing.[4]

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. Urging her mother to seek a combination of Conventional and Naturopathic Medicine, she was in full remission to watch Viinberg stand on the podium at the 2012 Olympic Games. 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”.[5]

Key Results

References

  1. ↑ "Rachelle Viinberg Profile". World Rowing.
  2. ↑ "Rowing for redemption: Rachelle Viinberg’s Olympic appearances total three in row". Metro News.
  3. ↑ "Omega Health and Fitness".
  4. ↑ "Omega Health and Fitness".
  5. ↑ "Rachelle Viinberg first Saskatchewan athlete to medal at London Games". Metro News.

External links