Jean Mitchell – Paris Olympics
A huge congratulations to our awesome Legacy Ambassador Jean, officially in the Women’s Four Paris Olympic Rowing team!
At just 16 years old, Jean was rowing competitively, but also experiencing some worrying symptoms (including blurred vision, balance issues, dizziness and vomiting).
After numerous doctor visits, her mother took her Epworth Hospital, where doctors discovered a four-centimetre tumour in her brain. Jean had gone to four other specialists in previous months, but none had thought to do an MRI.
The diagnosis started a two-year medical journey for Jean, and she had to hit pause on rowing and full-time study.
Jean’s resilience and determination helped her get back to competitive rowing, it wasn’t easy but her dream to row for Australia was always strongly in sight.
We are so proud of Jean and everything she has achieved, and we cannot wait to see her compete in Paris, representing Australia!
Our Rowing Connection
The Foundation has a special connection with rowing. Robert Connor Dawes was a keen rower, and dreamed of attending a US college to study and row, until brain cancer robbed him of the chance. In September 2011, when he was 17-year-olds, Connor ran from his home in Sandringham to the boatsheds on the Yarra. He’d started his training for the upcoming rowing season early, as he wanted to make the Brighton Grammar 1st VIII. Not loving running, he did the 18.8 km because he was determined to be the best he could be. Little did he know that in his head was more than fierce determination: there was also a tumour growing.