Gryphons for Life: Checking in with Team Canada Rower Sally Jones ’20

Our GNS Alumni are a diverse and talented network of individuals who are spread across the globe, actively illustrating our vision by contributing to the world through their leadership, their commitment to service and their understanding of the role they play in maintaining healthy communities. 

Sally Jones ’20 is no exception. She has excelled both in academics and athletically, representing Team Canada proudly over the past five years. She firmly embodies the idea of a unique pathway, how there is no single mould for students or predetermined idea of a graduate. Each student at GNS is given the opportunity to choose their own pathway and is supported in achieving success on their chosen journey.

Sally recently shared this update about her life since graduating from GNS:

I graduated from GNS in 2020 with a clear plan: attend UBC and compete on the women’s rowing team. Once I’d earned my BSc, I’d hang up my oar, pursue a Master’s, and find a job. It seemed straightforward in my Grade 12 mind. 

I spent four years rowing at UBC. We won a national championship, and through many tough training sessions, my teammates became my closest friends. After third year, I raced for Canada at the Under 23 World Rowing Championships in Bulgaria. The following summer, I won gold for Canada at the Rowing World University Games in the Netherlands. As graduation approached, I realized I wasn’t ready to leave rowing behind. I had one year of NCAA eligibility, so on an impulse, I emailed the University of Washington coach. I spent last year in Seattle, rediscovering my love for the sport in a new environment.

This past summer, I revisited my plan and thought maybe it was finally time to hang up my oar. I’d “retired” and was studying for the MCAT when an opportunity arose to try out for the Canadian Senior World Championship Team. I went for it and was selected to race in the Women’s Four and Eight (along with fellow GNS Alumni Caileigh Filmer ’14). In September, we traveled to Shanghai, placing 8th in the Four and 7th in the Eight. 

I train and compete because I find it fun. I’m fiercely competitive but sometimes reluctant to call myself an “athlete,” since that was never my original plan. When I graduated from GNS, I had no idea how far rowing could take me. If I’d stuck to my plan, I might never have traveled the world, met incredible people, or discovered how much I’m truly capable of. The path hasn’t been linear, but every challenge and change in direction has led to growth and opened doors to unexpected opportunities.