Jen is new to Vancouver, so let's do everything we can to make her feel at home here!

Jen kisses her new skates for Rollerderby.

what are your favourite things to do in your free time?

In my free time I love to practice yoga, rollerskate (I play rollerderby) and explore Vancouver since I'm new to town! I'm also actively working on setting up a foundation that teaches yoga to youths, and young women in particular. I believe that yoga can foster self awareness and self confidence which is important during their formative years.

what is the biggest goal you achieved in 2009?

2009 was really a foundation-setting year for me. It is too easy to get into a "rut", and after taking a hard look at my life and considering my goals, I decided to take some risks and go after my dreams. I sold my house, began a yoga teacher training program and was lucky enough to secure a spot in the Olympic Torch Relay.

Jen with the Olympic torch.

who has had the most influence in your life? why?

Family and friends have played key roles in my life, and in particular my mom and dad have been very important. They have always stressed the importance of living unselfishly and honestly, and encouraged exploring creative solutions to any issues I've faced.

8 year old Jen with her baby sister.

what super-power would you most like to have, and why?

I would love to be able to fly. Aside from the thrill of gliding through air, flight would make travel quick, and I could explore new places and visit distant friends on a whim.

what drew you to lululemon? favourite part of your job so far?

lululemon's people and culture drew me to their website, and to a posting for the IT QA team which matched my skills and interests. The people here have made me feel welcome and my manager has encouraged me to acquire the knowledge I need to do my job as I see fit, which is really empowering. I've really enjoyed learning about all of the processes and departments within the company that work together to ensure top quality products and an amazing experience for all our guests. I feel lucky coming to work everyday, and I'm proud to be a part of a company with as much integrity as lululemon!

We need more rockstars (or Rollerderby stars) like Jen on our quickly growing IT team. Spread the word. www.lululemon.com/careers

When I received the call three weeks ago that I had been nominated to run with the torch, I was… well, not that excited. I know that sounds bad and I by no means was taking the honour lightly, but in the spirit of full disclosure this was what was going through my head: well, your goal was to win the Olympics in Vancouver, but I guess carrying the torch is kind of cool.

You see, as a two-time Olympian who was forced into retirement through injury, my past Olympic experiences had consisted of operating within an insular bubble of train-rest- compete-leave. I was not exposed to what the world around me understood. I admittedly pretended to understand what this “Olympic movement” was all about.

As an athlete who competed continually throughout the two weeks, I only left the security of the Village to train or compete. All of my down time was spent preparing for the next competition. In preparation for the Olympics in 2002, I decided not to attend the opening ceremonies. As unfathomable as this is to many, I felt like it would negatively affect my competition. Looking back now, I regret that decision. I had not absorbed the spirit of the Games, I just wanted to win.

Well, it took two Olympics, and a 300m run with a torch, but I’ve finally got the spirit! When I boarded that bus with my 15 fellow torch bearers, who together would cover a whopping distance of 4.5 km, something happened, something changed. I don’t know if it was our guide who could barely speak of the Olympics without crying, or the woman who was running in honour of her daughter Hope who had recently passed away, but I started to tingle as that bus took off. 

Allison's biggest/littlest fan

We cruised down the streets lined with people waving flags and kids chanting and the tingles turned to tears. By the time I actually took off with the official flame for my 300m segment, I knew what I think others knew all along. The Olympic Games represent so much more than sport. They truly are a peace movement, where a country first comes together to carry a torch a total of 45,000km, and then welcomes the rest of the world in the celebration of challenging the human spirit. I apologize if I am telling you all something you already knew, but I just wanted to share that it took the torch to teach me this, and I will always be grateful. Go World!