Northern Ont. rower representing Canada at the 2024 Olympic Games

Former hockey star, Kristen Siermachesky may be rowing for Team Canada at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Kristen Siermachesky from New Liskeard, Ont., has been named as an alternate for the Canadian Nation Women's Rowing Team at the 2024 Paris Olympics and will represent the red and white at the games. (The Corporation of the City of Temiskaming Shores/Facebook)

Growing up in New Liskeard, Ont. she played several sports, including basketball and volleyball – But hockey was her go-to sport during her youth and when she had to make a choice, she moved to North Bay, Ont. to play women's hockey, before moving to Stoney Creek to play for the Stoney Creek Jr. Sabres.

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Siermachesky previously told CTV News that she fell into rowing about a year ago after graduating from Syracuse University, where she played Division 1 hockey.

“Congratulations, Kristen Siermachesky on your selection for Rowing Canada for the 2024 Paris Olympics,” said the school on its social media page.

“Cuse Ice will be represented at the 2024 Paris Olympics … on the water rather than the ice.”

Her hockey coach at Syracuse actually brought up rowing, according to the athlete.

“I think just my lung capacity with my strength and all those things just kind of came together and it turned out that this sport is kind of meant for me," said Siermachesky in a previous interview with CTV News.

She got in touch with the coach at the University of North Carolina (UNC) — where she was doing a masters program in sports administration — and began breaking school records.

”We couldn’t be prouder of Kristen Siermachesky, who will be heading to Paris with Team Canada,” said UNC in a social media post earlier this month.

“Then returning to Chapel Hill to join the Tar Heel coaching staff.”

Having only started rowing in 2021, Siermachesky took an unusual path to join the national team in 2023.

The then 23-year-old from New Liskeard, Ont. was one of only 30 athletes to be awarded funding and an accelerated path to the 2024 Paris Olympics through the RBC Training Ground program in late 2022.

23-year-old rower Kristen Siermachesky from New Liskeard, Ont. was one of only 30 athletes to be awarded funding and an accelerated path to the 2024 Paris Olympics through the RBC Training Ground program. (File photo/Supplied/RBC Training Ground)

Siermachesky then moved to Duncan, B.C., to train at the national team training centre.

Kristen Siermachesky is training full-time in British Columbia with the national rowing team. (File photo/Image from CTV News Northern Ontario report on Oct. 16, 2022)

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Siermachesky is an alternate in women's eight rowing at the Paris Olympics. Her role is to fill in for any team members who get sick or injured during competition.

During the World Cup in May in in Lucerne, Switzerland, one of her teammates got sick the night before the women's eight final. Bright and early next morning, she was heading to the racecourse.

During the lead-up to the Olympic Games, Siermachesky repeatedly explained that her job as an alternate is to make sure that nothing changes for the rest of her team if she has to step in.

Former hockey star, Kristen Siermachesky may be rowing for Team Canada at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Siermachesky was named an alternate for national rowing team in June 2024. (Syracuse University/Facebook)

Many northern Ontario communities have expressed their support for Siermachesky and her Olympic journey.

“We would like to recognize one of our very talented local athletes, Kristen Siermachesky, as she competes in women’s rowing for Team Canada,” wrote the City of Temiskaming Shores on its Facebook page.

“From Temiskaming Shores all the way to Paris, good luck Kristen.”

The Paris Olympics run until Aug. 11 with the women's eight rowing events starting on July 29.

With files from CTVNorthernOntario.ca journalist Lydia Chubak