She calls herself an "athlete for life".
 
You won't find Jennifer O'Neill showing off her Olympic medals, enthused about the Canadian championship trophies, or infatuated with the various citations for dominating other athletes in a variety of sports.
 
That's because there aren't any.
 
What O'Neill does have, many would say, is worth quite a bit more to her – and, quite likely, to hundreds of others who have been through similar circumstances. It's having the strength and ability to deal with a health issue in a positive and productive way.
 
Gold medal material in my book.
 
O'Neill has Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. In more simplistic terms, it's known as a fast heartbeat. Medical specialists say it's a common condition, especially diagnosed in younger people, and affecting the fist-sized organ that pumps blood throughout your body.
 
For O'Neill, all this was new to her until it happened. When she was a Grade 8 student at Centennial Senior Public School in Brampton, she told her mother that after a recreational house league basketball game, she felt her heart beating quickly. Symptoms of dizziness, blurriness and nausea set in.
 
At the time, there was some chatter about not being in good physical shape, especially after an active sports workout. But she continued feeling faint and a family decision was made to seek medical attention. An electrocardiogram was next, and the evidence was made crystal clear – it showed an irregular fast heartbeat.
 
Cause for panic for some, but O'Neill learned that she was not alone.
 
Her condition was diagnosed in many young adults, who are otherwise healthy. It was several years later, a day before her 18^th birthday, that O'Neill would have the first of several miniscule surgeries. The inaugural one was at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto followed, a year later, by the two more at the London Health Sciences Centre.
 
"Having a heart condition can turn out to be a scary thing, but for me it was microscopic through a vein and not the open-heart surgery," she said. "It turned out that some of the pathways (in the heart area) had closed up, forcing more pressure."

Heart palpitations can occur for a variety of reasons, leading to distress. In the case of O'Neill, her experience with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome was not something to be overwhelmed by. For her, the focus was very much on planning for the future.
 
After graduating from high school, she had already known her destination for post-secondary studies would be at Wilfrid Laurier University.
 
"The campus tour was superb, and I remember getting hooked on Laurier – it was a place that showed so much spirit," she said. "I felt very comfortable, and it was like being in a small community with so much to offer."
 
O'Neill would study Communications and Film, would make it to the Dean's list and graduated with a degree in 2007.  She liked the Journalism side of the program, wrote a health and wellness column for the school newspaper, and still found time to work in Laurier's Department of Athletics and Recreation.
 
"I loved fitness, had a student leadership position, and also led various group (fitness) sessions in my last three years at Laurier," said O'Neill.
 
"When I was in high school, I remember getting cut from every sports team that I had tried out for. I also kept sitting down after games because, back then, my heart was racing quicker than it should have and I needed to rest a lot."
 
O'Neill was determined to return to sport, but the skills were lacking, and there wasn't any significant game experience. An idea - fitness classes?
 
"I had worked hard to get my YMCA Fitness Certificate and then started teaching various aspects of fitness and proper exercise," she said. "As for my health, it's fantastic. No medication, anxiety, or stress."
 
Working at Laurier started in 2008, a year after her graduation. Appointed Coordinator of Recreation, O'Neill would put together a comprehensive series of programs that would attract large numbers of students and staff. It didn't take long before the community-at-large would also benefit from a what would become a catalogue of dozens of opportunities, and all focussed on fitness.
 
The demand grew and O'Neill would see her portfolio split to include everything from intramurals to dance, group fitness to personal training. Also critical was a huge interest in mental health programs.
 
"I went from being a Laurier graduate to what became 10 years of constantly building a variety of exciting programs," said O'Neill, who credits her time as a student leader with becoming a huge factor in the Laurier job. "My heart issues led me to fitness, which led me to Laurier."
 
Turns out that O'Neill did her job with so much success, that Laurier had maxed out all available space for recreational programs. Capacity numbers were gigantic in all areas. In 2016, she was promoted to Laurier's Manager of Recreation, Facilities and Wellness.
 
"I spent a lot of time mentoring and working with our students in leadership position," added O'Neill. "I created new programs and started incorporating mental health into them. Many of the students that worked at Laurier in the 10 years that I was there, have stayed in the Fitness and Recreation field, finding their passion for sport, fitness, and recreation." 

O'Neill was adamant that her experience at Laurier, as a student and staff member, were huge. Indeed, she was right. In fact, others were watching, too.
 
The University of Guelph liked what she did at Laurier and a career move resulted in her shuffling down the highway to become Manager of Fitness, Recreation and Client Services at the University of Guelph. Now responsible for a full-time staff of nine along with about 500 part-time student staff, she's built another success story.
 
"I think of myself as an athlete for life," said O'Neill, who has coached soccer, teaches classes in fitness, and has family commitments to her husband and children. "I know, there are other paths in the world of sports, in which you don't have to look like an athlete.
 
"Exercise is a reward, not a punishment. I think there is a misguided perception, predominantly conveyed by the media, on what it looks like to be healthy. I contribute to the well-being of the Guelph community and not just students. It's about saving lives."

David Grossman is a veteran multi award-winning Journalist and Broadcaster with some of Canada's major media, including the Toronto Star and SPORTSNET 590 THE FAN, and a Public Relations professional for 45+ years in Canadian sports and Government relations. He is also the recipient of the 2021 USPORTS Fred Sgambati Media Award.