TRI-CITY LEGAL Congratulates Canadian Olympian & Bronze Medalist, Jennifer Salling of Port Coquitlam
Jennifer Salling, a native of the Tri-Cities (hailing from Port Coquitlam), celebrates in Tokyo, Japan.
Last night, the Canadian softball team accomplished what they narrowly missed out on in 2008 in Beijing: medaling at the Summer Olympics. The game, though close in score, was well dominated by the Canadians who only lost to Japan and the US (the two finalists) during the entire Olympics; each loss a narrow 1-0 defeat.
Jennifer Salling, who hails from Port Coquitlam and attended Terry Fox Secondary School (graduating in 2005), immediately embraced her close friend and teammate, Daniel Lawrie (from Langley, BC, respectively) upon the victory. Lawrie and Salling have been teammates since starring for BC, the national team, as well as for the University of Washington Huskies. It was in Seattle where the two joined forces, were together named NCAA D1 First Team All-Americans, and led the Huskies to a NCAA D1 National Championship.
Salling and Lawrie embrace after winning Bronze at the 2020* Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.
Salling now adds a Bronze Olympic Medal to her impressive collection of success which includes silver medals in 2007, 2011, 2019, and gold in 2015 at the Pan American Games, as well as a D1 NCAA National Championship, among many other accolades.
First getting groomed in baseball by her father (Todd) and older brother (Scott), Salling grew up testing her skills and abilities against her family who had impressive baseball careers in their own right: Todd, drafted by the MLB’s Pittsburgh Pirates and Scott - a consistent .300 hitter - turning down scholarship offers in baseball to pursue his dream of football. Her mother, Marilyn and grandparents, Clare & Victor, are also well known in the Tri-Cities for their grit and toughness which they no doubt instilled in Jennifer. Upon commencing softball, Salling immediately excelled and gained notoriety in the Tri-Cities and in BC; inevitably, her exceptional skills and athletic gifts gained national attention.
Since Salling joined the national team, Canada has consistently been ranked in the top four teams in the world.
Set to retire, Jennifer Salling leaves the sport a national hero & history maker.
Salling and Lawrie, poetically, have noted that they will retire after these Olympic games- having done so, deservingly, on top and making history winning Canada its first ever medal in Women’s Softball at the Olympics. They both leave the sport as national heroes and history makers.
Up next for the two, or so we hope, would only be inductions as players to the BC Sports Hall of Fame- another feat they can enjoy together as friends, teammates, and inevitably, hall of famers.