WINNIPEG – After nearly two decades of competitive swimming, the shine of the sport has worn off for Olympian Chantal Van Landeghem. It’s one of the reasons why the 23-year-old Winnipegger announced her retirement on Tuesday.
“All the love and passion I used to have for swimming is not there anymore,” Van Landeghem said.
“I didn’t want to keep putting swimming ahead of other areas of my life.”
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Van Landeghem will instead now focus on her education back home. She enrolled at the University of Manitoba this past fall to pursue a Master’s degree in clinical psychology. Van Landeghem graduated from the University of Georgia in 2017 with a perfect 4.0 GPA.
“What I want to be one day is a sport psychologist,” Van Landeghem said. “It’s something I’m very, very passionate about.”
“Just making it known for athletes that it’s OK to get help. That mental health is as important for an athlete as the physical competency.”
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Van Landeghem first joined the national team six years ago. She helped Canada win a bronze medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the 2016 Rio Olympics. She also captured three medals, including two gold, at the 2015 Pan Am Games. Van Landeghem finished her career with two more bronze medals from the 2017 FINA World Championships.