From Olympic Gold to Back The Team: Meet Mentor Kristen Kit!

A four-time Olympian and Paralympian (2012, 2016, 2020, 2024), Kristen Kit stands among the most accomplished coxswains in rowing history. She steered Canada’s Women’s Eight to Olympic gold in Tokyo 2020 and Olympic silver in Paris 2024 and earlier led the mixed coxed four to Canada’s first-ever Paralympic rowing medal at Rio 2016.  

But what makes Kristen remarkable isn’t just her medals. It’s the honesty, calm, and courage she brings to a role that almost no one truly understands. “A lot of what I do isn’t measured,” she told Back The Team. “You can’t put it on a training app. It’s about confidence, trust, and how you react when the lights are on.”

Kristen didn’t learn these lessons from mentors early on — because she never had one. It took years of grit, self-belief, and trial-and-error for Kristen to break through. That experience is why she cares so deeply about supporting young coxswains today. She remembers exactly how it felt to want guidance and not know where to find it.

Even now, with her incredible career, Kristen is open about the doubts she still feels. She talks about “imposter syndrome” and how strange it can be to lead a boat when you don’t pull an oar yourself. “That voice never goes away,” she said. “But you learn to do your job well anyway. Your role is different, but it matters just as much.”

Kristen will share a leadership as a coxswain comes from trust, communication, and confidence.  Kristen will show her Back The Team squad that their voice matters, their instincts matter, and their mindset can change the whole boat. She has a rare ability to take someone from a “7 out of 10” performance to an “8 out of 10” simply by helping them unlock belief in themselves. It’s a skill she has carried through high-pressure Olympic finals and now brings to the next generation.

Kristen Kit is not just a champion on the water. She is a champion for confidence, courage, and connection. And we are honored to welcome her to the Back The Team family.

Registration is open HERE and spots are limited. Level up this January with Olympic Champion, Kristen Kit!

For media & press inquiries, please contact info@backtheteam.org directly.