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Janelle Wong Student-Athlete Story Cover Photo

Women's Badminton

STUDENT-ATHLETE STORIES: CHASING HER PASSION 12,000KM FROM HOME, HOW TV HELPED INSPIRE WONG'S CAREER ASPIRATIONS

(Pictured above: Janelle Wong celebrating the Varsity Blues OUA championship victory in 2019)
 
Each Thursday, varsityblues.ca will highlight a U of T student-athlete and their academic pursuits. Each of these students achieved first class honours with an AGPA of at least 3.50 in the previous academic year.  These are our Student-Athlete Stories.
 
Getting inspired can happen at any time, in any fashion, and ultimately lead you anywhere. With no clear-cut definition of how one must be inspired, inspiration dawns on every single person in a different fashion. For Varsity Blues badminton veteran Janelle Wong, the inspiration for her career choice occurred while watching television and has brought her half way around the globe.
 
"Growing up watching crime TV shows and movies, I developed interest in the criminal psychology discipline," Wong said. "I want to understand the psychology behind criminal behaviours and if possible, offer help in any way I can."

The fourth-year student-athlete is pursuing a double major in criminology and psychology out of U of T's St. Michael's College.

"I enjoyed watching crime drama series like Sherlock, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and the movie The Silence of the Lambs," said Wong. "It was remarkable to see how these detective characters used their knowledge and expertise to gather evidence and eventually, solve various mysteries and crimes."

"I truly respect their courage, intelligence, and great dedication to their work, which is why I sparked interest in taking up a career in this field."

The other half of her double-major meanwhile, was not so much inspired by television shows, but by taking in the world around her.

"Mental health also has been a global issue and I have seen how it has affected the people around me, so I chose psychology as my other major to learn more about various mental health conditions," she said. "I hope that the misconceptions and stigmas associated with mental illness can be reduced through public education."
 
"With a better understanding, hopefully society will show greater support to mental health programs and encourage more of those who are suffering to seek professional treatment."
 
Janelle Wong
With her inspiration found and her passion discovered, Wong, who grew up in Hong Kong then made the over 12,000-kilometer trip to Toronto to pursue her post-secondary education at the U of T.

"My first year of university was tough as both of my desired programs are pretty competitive, and I knew I had to work extra hard in order to get into them," Wong said. "At first, I struggled to catch up with school materials as I came to this completely new learning environment, but eventually I was able to pick up the pace and get myself back on track."
 
Learning to adapt to a new city and country, Wong was able to find familiarity and comfort in the universal language of badminton. A member of the Varsity Blues badminton squad going back to 2018-19, Wong has experienced plenty of success on the court, but has also gained friendships from it.

Being a part of the Varsity Blues badminton team has led to some of Wong's favourite moments at university thus far.
 
"One of my favourite memories was winning both the OUA Championships title and the overall team title at the Canadian University and College National Championships in my first year," she said. "It was such an enjoyable and rewarding experience as I got to play alongside talented and supportive teammates, and I felt a strong sense of community as we cheered for each other during the games."
 
Janelle Wong
(Wong competing for the Varsity Blues)
 
Just one year later, Wong would get to experience another OUA title with the Varsity Blues.

Along with the joys that the championship victories have brought, there has also been plenty of life lessons learned from the sport for Wong.

"Badminton is a fast-moving sport that requires you to fully focus on playing the game," she said. "This type of concentration training on the court has taught me how to cope with stress effectively and stay focused, which helps me to keep up with my tasks in everyday life."

"Not only is this my final year of university, I also have been working part-time as a registry support clerk at the Canadian Federal Court since September of last year. Sometimes it can be difficult to strike a balance between academic and work demands, but badminton has taught me how to stay calm and focus on my priorities, even when multiple deadlines are approaching."

Finding her passion for psychology, an inspiration for criminology and her feet comfortably, but firmly planted in a new country, Wong knows she is exactly where she is supposed to be.

"As "chance favours the prepared mind", I think U of T provides students with plenty of resources and opportunities to prepare you for future endeavours," she said. "If you are able to seize that opportunity and work hard with it, U of T will help get you there."

"I am really happy to be able to study what I am passionate about and I am excited to see what is in store for me."
 
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