Their presence speaks of journeys combining academic demands, sporting rigour and all-around determination. For decades our Gee-Gees history has been marked by figures such as Kathy Kreiner (downhill skiing), Dawn McEwen (curling) and Marc Dorion (para ice hockey).
From February 6 to 22, the story continues at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic Games. Shilo Rousseau, a master’s student (Faculty of Science), and Rachel Homan, a uOttawa alumna (Faculty of Health Sciences) will be competing. On campus, the entire community will be cheering them on for their events.
Balancing studies and Olympic competition
For Rousseau, Milan-Cortina will be the first time she’s taken part in the Games. A former member of the uOttawa Gee-Gees nordic ski team, she stood out in university-level biathlon before gradually making her name internationally. Her path was documented in a Gee-Gees piece on Rousseau’s selection for the Olympics.
In 2023, Rousseau gained some notice and made history in Canadian university sport by winning two gold medals and a silver at the World University Games. The first Canadian to make the podium in biathlon at that competition, she was also named Canada’s flag-bearer for the closing ceremonies. In 2025, the first time she took part in the International Biathlon Union world championships, she finished 20th in the relay.
Equally known for her academic excellence, Rousseau received an honours bachelor’s in biology in 2024. She’s currently completing a master’s in cellular and molecular medicine at uOttawa, balancing high-level training and scientific research.
As for Homan, she’s participating in her third Olympic Games. A 2011 health sciences graduate (human kinetics), the Canadian women’s curling team skip is arriving in Milan-Cortina with solid international experience. Crowned world champion multiple times, she brings a well-established presence to Canada’s delegation.
Away from the spotlight, two alumni on the sidelines
The University of Ottawa presence will also be felt on the sidelines.
Gee-Gees photographer and uOttawa alumnus Greg Kolz (BSocSc ’01) will be in Italy to document the 2026 Winter Games. The Gee-Gees prepared a profile of Kolz as he prepared to photograph his fourth Olympic Games.
Giving an Olympic-calibre performance is the result of teamwork, including contributions from key actors on the sidelines. Alumnus Jean-François Ménard (BSc ’05, MA ’07), a multisport expert, will be taking part in his sixth Games as a coach. He’ll be supporting freestyle skier Mikaël Kingsbury, among others.
The piece “Getting Olympic ready with mental performance coach Jean François Ménard” shows Ménard’s “athlete’s mindset” and his approach to mental preparation.
Story to be continued at the Paralympic Games
Rousseau’s and Homan’s participation is part of a long history of uOttawa participation in the Olympics and Paralympics, marked by athletes, coaches and University staff.
The uOttawa sports story continues as well at the 2026 Paralympic Games, from March 6 to 15.
