Julie Thibault has been recognized as Umpire of the Year in 2023 by Rowing Canada Aviron (RCA), and it isn’t a surprise for many fans who follow the professional path of this sportsman. She can be proud of many achievements his pupils have achieved, but not everyone knows her life story and sports career.

Julie Thibault hasn’t ever considered rowing as her major life pursuit, which has been a discovery for many people. When she was in her 20s, she decided to look for a new hobby and went into sports accidentally. She said that she was seeking something to take her out of the house more frequently. She paid attention to several different sports and finally stopped on rowing because she was interested in the Olympics. At the same time, Julie wasn’t aware that some rowing clubs are located in Quebec, so she had to put effort into discovering the Montreal Rowing Club and signing up for a new course there. Since that time, she has spent from 3 to 5 days a week there and never regretted that choice.

It sounds unbelievable, but Julie has never been drawn to competitions or live sports betting like one offered by a reputable Royal Panda sportsbook. She was enjoying the rhythm of sports and the atmosphere of the rowing club. She took part in the Montreal Outgames and continued to be a part of the active rowing community until she gave birth to her child. Even being on maternity leave, she didn’t leave rowing and concluded that one of the ways to stay connected with it is by umpiring. 

It doesn’t mean that she decided to take umpiring and began to teach others the next day. This transition took place gradually since she received much encouragement from her fellow sportsmen. First, she completed an introductory course and began to work as an assistant umpire to get enough experience. It lasted for several months since in 2010, she finally obtained the umpiring license and took this long-wished position. Julie said that she was seeking anything not connected with work. She wanted to find something engaging, but she couldn’t leave rowing because of the people there.

Julie has been affiliated with the Boucherville Rowing Club, but it doesn’t prevent her from enjoying a family life together with umpiring. She often brings kids to regattas and even moved to Boucherville to live closer to a rowing club than she was before. Julie admits that rowing has become more challenging after she became a mother, but umpiring helped her to be involved in the sport she likes. 

It isn’t a secret that regattas begin early in the morning, and Julie appreciates that unmatched silence that welcomes her every day before they start practising. She enjoys the calmness she sees when they arrive and takes energy from this atmosphere. Julie also likes working with people since she sees athletes, coaches, and spectators on a daily basis and spends long days beside them.

At the same time, she realizes that the role of umpire is very responsible no matter where you do this job. She loves being on the water, following the success of athletes, and seeing how they cross the finish line full of inspiration and happiness. 

Rowing umpires collaborate closely, so long days they spend at regattas pass very quickly. Julie shares an opinion that making split-second decisions is rather intimidating, but she is always supported and has enough communication, so she never feels alone.

According to Julie, it was an unforgettable experience for her to attend the National Rowing Championship for the first time. Since she isn’t an athlete, she had a unique experience of seeing the major regatta so closely and being among people who seemed to be your close friends. She also shared similar positive emotions about Royal Canadian Henley, which has been called a big event by her. She was happy to see all the variety of boats and sportsmen gathered in one place.

If you ask what advice she gives to people who consider umpiring, she will recommend having a try. It is possible to start with online courses for a start and only then deal with real regattas. There is hardly anything that can be compared with that unique atmosphere, so everyone who visits it at least once will surely like it. 

Though Julie took up rowing when she was an adult, she established a close connection with this sport and hopes that her children will love it, too. Currently, they don’t show much interest in rowing, but they are always beside her at work. Nowadays, Julie is absolutely happy to be an umpire and to be a part of this sport, too.