Merely a month before her first day of law school, Caroline Crossley was making history with her teammates in Paris - achieving Canada's best-ever Olympic performance in rugby sevens. Meet the silver medalist who’s now tackling her BCL/JD.
You and your teammates bringing home the silver medal was one of the highlights of our summer! When did you start playing rugby? What was your journey to becoming part of Team Canada?
Thank you! It really was an unbelievable experience. Looking back on it, it honestly feels like a fever dream.
I started playing rugby when I was 12 years old. I used to play with the boys because there were no girls teams at that time, until I was around 15 years old. At age 16 I was recruited as a development player on Team Canada, and then competed on the national team for 10 years!
What was it like to stay in the Olympic Village?
Staying in the Olympic village was a very unique and exciting experience. Getting a glimpse into the lives of the top athletes around the world provides for some very interesting people watching! And yes, the chocolate muffins were worth the hype.
What did you take away from your Olympics experience?
Our team was not favoured as medal contenders, which I think ended up being a significant advantage for us. Reaching the Olympic final was something that we knew we could do, and we focused only on our own goals and expectations throughout the Olympic games. For me, that experience showed me how much more enjoyable performance can be when you are focused on your own process, rather than internalizing external expectations.
Why did you decide to go to law school? What attracted you to McGill?
I decided to go to Law school because I wanted to pursue my interest in law and advocacy. I’m not entirely sure where law school will take me, but I appreciate that it is an academic background which opens many doors for possible career paths.
I chose McGill for its integrated approach to the common and civil law, as well as the unique opportunities in the fields of International Law and Human Rights.
What’s the most surprising thing you’ve learned about law or law school life so far?
The most surprising thing I’ve learned about law school life is how hard it is to sit for 8-10 hours a day! I’ve never had a desk job, and my undergrad was mostly online and so I had more flexibility in my schedule. I still feel like a little kid who can’t sit still!
Do you have a 1L survival tip to share ?
Get a study group! I have found it is so much more efficient, effective, and enjoyable to study with other people.
Are there any areas of law you find especially exciting?
At this point, I am fairly open to most fields of law but the areas I find to be the most exciting are human rights law, international humanitarian law, environmental law, and labour law.
