Genevieve Orton

Biography

Genevieve Orton first joined the senior national team in 2007, seven years after she started paddling competitively. She competed at her first world championships on home waters in Dartmouth in 2009, winning a bronze medal as part of the non-Olympic K-1 4x200m relay. Earlier that summer, she had won a pair of World Cup silver medals as the stroke of the K-4 500m. In 2011 she and partner KC Fraser won a World Cup bronze medal in the K-2 200m. But her hopes of qualifying for London 2012 in the K-4 500m were dashed when the crew finished 15^th at the 2011 World Championships. Orton and her husband decided to take that time to start their family. Just four months after daughter Annika was born, she won the K-1 200m and K-1 500m titles at the 2013 Canadian Championships. At the 2015 World Championships, Orton teamed with Una Lounder to finish eighth in the K-2 200m. She reunited with Fraser in 2016 and qualified Canada for Rio 2016 in the K-2 500m by winning the Pan American Continental Qualifier. The duo then had to win a national race-off to finally secure their Olympic spots.

Getting to know…

Family: Parents Ralph and Jane Orton… Older sister Elizabeth won three gold and one silver in kayak at the 1997 Canada Games… Younger sister Helen won two silver in canoe at the 2005 Canada Games… Husband Jonathan Pike is a former national team canoer… Daughter Annika (born April 2013)…Getting into the Sport: Was first in a kayak at age 3 but needed rescuing when she blew down the lake… Decided to try gymnastics but then grew too tall to be successful so she returned to paddling at age 16, following her older sister… Has wanted to be an Olympian since the first time she saw the Games on TV from Barcelona 1992… Outside Interests: Enjoys reading, baking, hiking, doing home renovations… During the off-season likes to do sports that are “too dangerous” to do while competing… Graduated from Dalhousie University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science, double major in Biology and International Development Studies… Supports Greenpeace and Fast and Female… Odds and Ends: Nickname: Genny… Likes to eat a huge supper with dessert the night before a race… Always travels with a sewing kit that tends to be useful… Favourite motto: Do what makes you happy…