613 in Paris: Jessica Gaudreault’s Olympic triumph from Tokyo’s sidelines to Paris’ pool

“613 in Paris” is our nine-part series profiling Olympic athletes representing Ottawa-Gatineau at Paris 2024. These written interviews, conducted ahead of the competition, delve into each athlete’s experience with pandemic-era training, inspiration and community support, competition-day routines and rituals, and key elements to watch for in their respective sports.

After netting an alternate spot on the Tokyo 2020 water polo squad, veteran goalkeeper, Jessica Gaudreault, knew Paris 2024 would be different.

Jessica Gaudreault is poised for a triumphant Olympic debut after being sidelined in Tokyo 2020. Photo by Antoine Saito via Water Polo Canada/Facebook.

Apt613 connected with the 30-year-old goalkeeper in Montreal for a written interview before she took to the Paris 2024 pool. In the interview, Gaudreault talks about “competing against herself”, gives ‘thanks’ to her wave of supporters, and reveals the one place you can find her if she’s not poolside (spoiler: it’s still on the water).

Responses have been edited for clarity and length.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jessica Gaudreault (@godrowjess)

Gaudreault aided Team Canada’s Tokyo 2020 qualification but did not compete in the Olympic tournament. A quote from Bo Schembechler, former Michigan football coach, helped the veteran to stay the course after her Tokyo sidelining: “Those who stay will be champions.”

Active on the Canadian Women’s National Water Polo team since 2013, Gaudreault brings silver-plated experience to her second Olympic roster. She contributed to Team Canada’s silver medal-winning campaigns in the 2015, 2019, and 2023 Pan-American Games. At the 2017 FINA World League Super Final, she captured another silver medal and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Goaltender. Gaudreault was also a Division I athlete for Indiana University, graduating in 2019 with the second-most saves and shots faced in program history, along with a professional stint in the Canary Islands with Tenerife Echeyde in 2023.

Jessica Gaudreault proudly poses with her ticket to Paris 2024 ahead of her Olympic debut. Photo via godrowjess/Instagram.

The netminder focused inward in the years leading up to her eventual Paris 2024 qualification. “Competing against myself has been a huge motivation for me this Olympic cycle compared to other [cycles].” The goaltender also dealt with the challenges of pandemic-era training. “We were one of the countries with the strictest rules and mandates for Covid. It severely impacted our ability to train with teammates and against other teams. Seeing other [national] teams with looser restrictions doing joint training camps was very hard to watch.”

Gaudreault now faces a different sort of ‘challenge’… cheering fans. “We’ve had a pretty condensed Olympic quad [a four-year training block] which has made some tournaments relatively packed spectator-wise and that is an amazing change since Covid. Learning how to communicate [with teammates] over the noise has been a fun challenge.”

The goaltender will expect some familiar voices in the Parisian crowds this summer. “I am very lucky that a whopping 14-member cheer squad is coming from Ottawa to support me [in Paris].”

Gaudreault pictured with her father, Eric, and mother, AJ, while attending Indiana University. Photo via godrowjess/Instagram.

Gaudreault recognizes the impact of family on her Olympic journey. “My family is a huge support to me. I have a large extended family and they are truly the village that helped raise me. I’ve had aunts, uncles, and cousins travel across the world to watch my games.”

“I also have to thank my club: Capital Wave [Swim and] Water Polo,” says Gaudreault. The staff and kids always welcome me to their practices and camps with open arms. They always promote me in the best of light and I will never forget that.”

Gaudreault also embraces her leadership role outside of the pool. In 2022, she accepted an assistant coach position with the University of Michigan, leading the women’s team to a conference championship that year. She is also a Voice in Sport mentor, sharing her experience and connecting with younger girls and women in sport.

Despite being among the most-tenured of the Canadian squad, Gaudreault leaves nothing to chance on competition days. “Every day of our tournaments, I always sit in the same seat on the bus and at our team meetings. I have specific routines I do before games, but I am more lenient on those.”

When not training poolside, Gaudreault never strays too far from the water: “I absolutely love taking my paddle board out around Constance Bay when the leaves are changing. Ottawa–Gatineau is the most beautiful in the fall.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jessica Gaudreault (@godrowjess)

Gaudreault and Team Canada take to the pool for their first match on July 29, with the competition running until August 11. For new viewers, Gaudreault likens the sport to “a bit like soccer and basketball. There are a lot of whistles, which can be confusing. A singular short whistle indicates a minor foul, in which the offence is awarded a free pass or shot. On a major foul, the offense is rewarded with a 20-second power play while the defender is placed in a penalty box.” Gaudreault adds: “All field players can only touch the ball with one hand, whereas the goalie is allowed to touch with two.”

Follow Jessica Gaudreault in her first taste of Olympic action on Instagram.