Jennifer Saunders

Biography

Jen Saunders has competed for Canada on twenty-eight occasions, winning 12 medals at the IRF World Championships (highlighted by her singles silver in 2012) and six medals at the Pan Am Championships. Saunders has won the Canadian Women’s Open Singles Championship title ten times in the last 17 years. She has also won the Canadian Women’s Open Doubles title in 12 of the last 17 years, most recently in 2018 with her new partner Frédérique Lambert. Saunders’ combined 22 titles gives her the record for the most Canadian Open titles by any male or female athlete in the history of Canadian racquetball. In total, she has won 35 medals in the Open Singles and Doubles events at the Canadian Championships including 22 gold, 12 silver and 1 bronze. Saunders represented Canada at the 2003, 2011 and 2015 Pan Am Games, winning team bronze at the latter, as well as the World Games in 2009 and 2013. In 2009, Saunders was selected as the Manitoba Female Athlete of the Year.

A LITTLE MORE ABOUT JENNIFER

Getting into the Sport: Started playing racquetball at age 10… It was the first individual sport she tried; was drawn to the fast pace and aggressiveness; being able to play inside year-round in northern Canada was also an asset… Outside Interests: Enjoys playing golf and slo-pitch softball… Big fan of the Winnipeg Jets… Executive Director of Racquetball Manitoba… Earned Bachelor of Arts (major in Physical Activity and Sport Studies) at the University of Winnipeg in 1999… Odds and Ends: Favourite motto: “Why not me?”  Good luck charm is a horseshoe pendant she wears around her neck…. Nicknames: JTK (Jenny The Kid), Jenny Canada… Role model is Wayne Gretzky because he is The Great One…

Notable International Results

Pan American Games: 2015 – BRONZE (team), Round of 16 (singles); 2011 – Round of 16 (singles), Quarterfinals (team); 2003 – 5th (singles)

Pan American Championships: 2019 – 4th (doubles); 2018 – Round of 16 (singles); 2017 – Round of 32 (singles), Round of 16 (doubles); 2016 – BRONZE (doubles), Quarterfinals (singles); 2015 – Round of 16 (singles), Round of 16 (doubles); 2014 – Round of 16 (singles); 2012 – BRONZE (doubles); 2010 – SILVER (singles); 2008 – BRONZE (singles); 2004 – GOLD (team), SILVER (doubles)

IRF World Championships: 2018 – 9th (singles), 9th (doubles);2016 – BRONZE (doubles); 2014 – 6th (doubles); 2012 – BRONZE (team), SILVER (singles); 2010 – 5th (singles), SILVER (team); 2008 – BRONZE (singles), BRONZE (team); 2006 – BRONZE (singles), SILVER (team); 2004 – SILVER (team), BRONZE (doubles); 2002 – SILVER (team), SILVER (singles