Jennifer Krempien
Biography
Jennifer Krempien, known affectionately as ‘Goose’ by her teammates, is a world-class athlete and a respected role model within the sport community. A native of St. Albert, AB, she discovered wheelchair basketball early in her childhood and began playing at the age of nine. The sport grew to become a big part of her life.
Krempien joined the Canadian women’s national team in 1992 and went on to win the gold medal at the Paralympic Games in Barcelona in her rookie season. Canada became a dominant force during her tenure with the team and Krempien figured prominently in that success. Team Canada won three consecutive Paralympic gold medals (1992, 1996, 2000) and four consecutive World Championship titles (1994, 1998, 2002, 2006). Krempien was twice named to the world championship all-star team.
For more than a decade, she has been renowned for her competitive spirit and work ethic. A natural leader and a reliable two-way player, Krempien could impact a game whether she was a member of the starting lineup or coming off the bench. A five-time Paralympian, she retired from the national team in 2008.
Her level of commitment and dedication to the sport was admired by both teammates and opponents alike. One of her favourite expressions was a quote from Aristotle – “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
Off the basketball court, Krempien is a motivational speaker and a tremendous ambassador for the sport. She works as a clinical pediatric dietitian, and is a graduate student of human nutrition at the University of British Columbia.
Interesting Facts
- Served on the Wheelchair Basketball Canada Board of Directors as the VP Athlete Representative from 2008-2010
- She was awarded the key to the city in her hometown of St. Albert, AB, in recognition of her outstanding sporting achievements
- She was the flag-bearer for Team Canada during the opening ceremony at the 2007 Parapan American Games
Awards / Highlights
- Inducted into the Canadian Paralympic Hall of Fame, 2013
- Received Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, 2013
- Inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, 2009
- Named Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Association Female Athlete of the Year in 2008
- Received the Canadian Wheelchair Sport Association Stan Stronge Award, 2008
- Named All-Star at the World Championship in 1998 and 2002
Major International Competition
| Tournament | [medal, rank=1 size=’small’] | [medal, rank=2 size=’small’] | [medal, rank=3 size=’small’] | Other |
| Paralympic Games: 5 | 3 (’92,’96,’00) | 0 | 1 (’04) | 5th (’08) |
| World Championships: 4 | 4 (’94,’98,’02, ’06) | 0 | 0 | – |
Statistics
Paralympic Games
| Year | GP | Min | M/G | Field Goals | 3Pts | Free Throws | Rebounds | AS | TO | ST | BS | PF | FO | PTS | P/G | |||||
| M/A | % | M/A | % | M/A | % | OR | DR | TOT | ||||||||||||
| 2008 | 7 | 244 | 34:55 | 6/18 | 33 | 0/2 | 0.0 | 3/4 | 75 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 12 | 4 | 15 | 2.1 |
| 2004 | 6 | 132 | 22:00 | 3/14 | 21 | 0/0 | – | 2/4 | 50 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 4 | 8 | 1.3 |
| 2000 | 5 | 101 | 20:08 | 0/6 | 0 | 0/0 | – | 0/0 | – | 2 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 1996 | 5 | 98 | 19:36 | 1/5 | 20 | 0/0 | – | 2/4 | 50 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 4 | 0.8 |
| 1992 | 5 | 54 | 10:46 | 1/2 | 50 | 0/0 | – | 0/0 | – | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0.4 |
| TOTAL | 28 | 629 | 22:28 | 11/45 | 24 | 0/2 | 0.0 | 7/12 | 58 | 8 | 22 | 30 | 13 | 28 | 10 | 0 | 50 | 10 | 29 | 1.0 |
World Championships
| Year | GP | Min | M/G | Field Goals | 3 Pts | Free Throws | Rebounds | AS | TO | ST | BS | PF | FO | PTS | P/G | |||||
| M/A | % | M/A | % | M/A | % | OR | DR | TOT | ||||||||||||
| 2006 | 6 | 209 | 34:52 | 4/26 | 15 | 0/0 | – | 0/0 | – | 2 | 9 | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 8 | 1.3 |
| 2002 | 5 | 104 | 20:48 | 6/17 | 35 | 0/0 | – | 2/4 | 50 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 14 | 2.8 |
| 1998 | 5 | 114 | 22:56 | 3/7 | 43 | 0/0 | – | 2/4 | 50 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 1.6 |
| 1994 | 4 | 102 | 25:30 | 0/1 | 0 | 0/0 | – | 0/1 | – | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| TOTAL | 20 | 529 | 26:30 | 13/51 | 26 | 0/0 | – | 4/9 | 44 | 2 | 23 | 25 | 18 | 13 | 8 | 0 | 32 | 0 | 30 | 1.5 |
Legend: GP = Games Played; Min = Minutes; M/G = Minutes per Game; M/A = Made / Attempted; OR = Offensive Rebounds; DR = Defensive Rebounds; TOT = Total; AS = Assists; TO = Turn Overs; ST = Steals; BS = Blocked Shots;PF = Personal Foul; FO = Foul On; PTS = Points; P/G = Points per Game
Competitive Experience
| Level | Team | Location | Year(s) |
| International | Canada (SWNT) | Canada | 1992-2008 |
| Club (domestic) | Edmonton Inferno | Alberta | 2002-2010 |
| Club (domestic) | Edmonton Aurora Lights | Alberta | – |
Career Notes
2010: 2nd place at CWBL Women’s Championship with Edmonton Inferno in Saskatoon, SK (domestic)…
2008: 5th place at Paralympic Games in Beijing, China (Team Canada)… 3rd place at North American Cup in Birmingham, Alabama (Team Canada)… 1st place at Good Luck Beijing Invitational Tournament in Beijing, China (Team Canada)… 1st place at National Championship with Team British Columbia in Vancouver, BC (domestic)… 1st place at CWBL Women’s Championship with Edmonton Inferno in Montreal, QC (domestic)… Named Female Athlete of the Year…
2007: 2nd place at Parapan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Team Canada)… 3rd place at 4 Nations Tournament in Sydney, Australia (Team Canada)… 1st place at Osaka Cup & named MVP in Osaka, Japan (Team Canada)… 1st place at CWBL Women’s Championship with Edmonton Inferno in Winnipeg, MB (domestic)…
2006: 1st place at World Championships in Amsterdam, Netherlands (Team Canada)… 3rd place at Roosevelt Cup Tournament in Warm Springs, Georgia (Team Canada)… 1st place at CWBL Women’s Championship with Edmonton Inferno in Kitchener, ON (domestic)…
2005: 2nd place at the Qualifications of Americas Tournament in Colorado Springs, Colorado (Team Canada)… 1st place at CWBL Women’s Championship with Edmonton Inferno & named All-Star in Edmonton, AB (domestic)…
2004: 3rd place at Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece (Team Canada)… 2nd place at CWBL Women’s National Championships with Calgary Rollers & named All-Star in Vancouver, BC (domestic)… 1st place at CWBL Women’s Championship with Edmonton Inferno & named All-Star in Vancouver, BC (domestic)…
2003: 2nd place at CWBL Women’s Championship with Edmonton Inferno in Toronto, ON (domestic)…
2002: 1st place at World Championships & named All-Star in Kitakyushu, Japan (Team Canada)… 2nd place at the Qualifications of Americas Tournament in Vitoria, Brazil (Team Canada)…
2001: 3rd place at CWBL Women’s Championship with Aurora Lights in Toronto, ON (domestic)…
2000: 1st place at Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia (Team Canada)… 3rd place at CWBL Women’s Championship with Aurora Lights in Edmonton, AB (domestic)…
1999: 1st place at Qualification Tournament in Mexico City, Mexico (Team Canada)… 4th place at CWBL Women’s Championship with Aurora Lights in Calgary, AB (domestic)…
1998: 1st place at World Championships & named All-Star in Sydney, Australia (Team Canada)… 1st place at Qualification of Americas Tournament in Winnipeg, Manitoba (Team Canada)… 4th place at CWBL Women’s Championship with Aurora Lights in Winnipeg, MB (domestic)…
1997: 4th place at CWBL Women’s Championship with Aurora Lights in Vancouver, BC (domestic)…
1996: 1st place at Paralympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia (Team Canada)… 1st place at CWBL Women’s Championship with Aurora Lights in Montreal, QC (domestic)…
1995: 2nd place at CWBL Women’s Championship with Aurora Lights in Saskatoon, SK (domestic)…
1994: 1st place at World Championships in Stoke Mandeville, England (Team Canada)… 1st place at CWBL Women’s Championship with Aurora Lights in Saint John, NB (domestic)…
1993: 1st place at CWBL Women’s Championship with Aurora Lights & named All-Star in Edmonton, AB (domestic)…
1992: 1st place at Paralympic Games in Barcelona, Spain (Team Canada)…