Lesley Thompson

Lesley Allison Thompson-Willie, born on September 20, 1959, is a Canadian rowing coxswain and Olympic champion. She loves rowing and has worked very hard at it for many years.

From 1984 to 2016, she competed in eight Olympic Games, which is a record for a rower. She won medals in five of those games. One of her best moments was winning a gold medal in the eight at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

Lesley’s long and successful career shows her love for rowing and her strength. She inspires many, especially young people who want to compete in the Olympics.

Career

Lesley Thompson-Willie is a Canadian rowing coxswain who has competed in many Olympic Games. She first competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and won a silver medal. She won medals at several more Olympics, including a gold medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

Lesley has competed in eight Olympic Games, which is a record for rowers. She also won medals at the World Championships and was elected to the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame in 1994. After retiring once, she came back to compete in the 2008 Olympics and later at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Outside rowing

Lesley Thompson-Willie studied at the University of Western Ontario. She was a teacher at South Secondary School in London, Ontario until she retired in 2018. She married Dr. Paul Willie in 2000 but still rowed as Lesley Thompson at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Her husband teaches subjects like accounting and finance at Niagara College.