Two elite Canadian athletes, each of whom competed internationally and one who coached at the 2018 Winter Olympics, are now challenging themselves with law school.
First-year students Greg Rafter and Robynne Thompson represented Canada's national team in skeleton, a sliding sport in which competitors race down a frozen track on a small sled, head-first and face-down. Both believe a career in law will allow them to continue being involved in sport.
Rafter, the athlete-turned-coach, is interested in the public policy and politics of sports.
"Many aspects of sport have an immense political and administrative framework that affects every aspect of competition, including venue organization, governing bodies for competition, and drug testing," said Rafter. "It makes you want to look behind the curtain and become a positive part of that process."
The native of Calgary chose University of Alberta Law because of its reputation for excellence and that of its Health Law Institute.
Thompson was drawn to law studies to make an impact in other people's lives.
"You can make change in the world, I feel, as an athlete. I want to turn it now into how I can help other people accomplish their goals."
Both agree that while the worlds of competitive sports and law may look different, the lessons high-performance athletes learn have prepared them for the next three years of school.
"My coaches really helped me with my skills outside the sport," said Thompson, naming public speaking, time management and staying cool under pressure as abilities that will be invaluable.
Rafter identifies professionalism, cohesion among peers and teamwork as attributes he developed as an athlete that he can transfer to law school.
"It's performance-based here, but as students in a cohort we still train together," said Rafter.
Rafter's background in skeleton includes competing in IBSF World Cups, and on the Intercontinental, Europa and America's Cup circuits before he switched to coaching for the Canadian team. "I got an offer to coach and I couldn't turn it down," he said.
Thompson has competed in several World Cups as well, placing first in the 2014 Canadian Championship, and first in the Junior Skeleton World Championships in 2011.
With only four training tracks in North America, (Calgary, Whistler, Park City, Utah, and Lake Placid, NY) many skeleton athletes travel frequently to Europe's numerous tracks.
"It took me eight years to get my bachelor's," said Thompson, "because I only did university in the summer until I was done competing."
With both athletes now retired from sports competition, they can direct their gift for being laser-focused on the law.
"Like being an athlete, as a lawyer you're an advocate," said Rafter. "It's a role in which you need to be aware ... of who you're representing."
