Senator Marnie McBean is a three-time Olympic gold medallist, motivational speaker and former chef de mission for the 2020 Tokyo Games. 

Learn more about Senator McBean, her Olympic rowing journey and its ripple effect on her Senate work. 

 As chef de mission, Senator McBean led Team Canada to the 2020 Tokyo Games, serving as spokesperson, mentor and cheerleader for Canada’s Olympians. (Photo credit: Andrew Lahodynskyj)

You are one of the most decorated Olympians in Canadian history, a motivational speaker, a volunteer and a mentor for young athletes. How has your experience prepared you for Parliament Hill?

I tell a lot of first-time Olympic athletes that just because you’re a rookie at the Olympics, it doesn’t mean you’re a beginner at what you’re doing. I try to remember that at the Senate — just because I’m a new senator, it doesn’t mean I’m new at serving Canada or Canadians. 

What made you want to serve Canadians as a senator? 

I attended a friend’s citizenship ceremony in 2017 and at that point I was already trying to figure out what I was going to do after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. I was watching the citizenship judge interacting with so many Canadians of diverse backgrounds, whom he helped achieve citizenship, and I thought that was such a cool role. 

I shared that goal with another friend of mine, and she suggested that I apply to the Senate because she knows I am curious and I like asking questions. 

At that point, it turned into a bit of a bet. She dared-slash-bet me to apply for the Senate, and I dared-slash-bet her to finish a book she was writing. Here I am in the Senate, and I am still waiting for her to finish her book! 

Marnie McBean (left) and the late Kathleen Heddle show off their gold medals in the coxless pairs rowing competition at the Olympic Games in Banyoles, Spain in 1992. They are among the most-decorated Olympians in Canadian history, with three gold and one bronze medal for rowing. (Photo credit: The Canadian Press)

Senator McBean powers her way to the gold medal in the Pan American Games women’s single sculls at Lake Minnedosa, Man. in 1999. (Photo credit: The Canadian Press)

You were sworn in to the Senate on February 6, 2024. What went through your mind as you were reciting your oath? 

I was just happy to have my family with me. I have a nine-year-old daughter, and I have had many big moments in my career that predate her birth. My wife has been with me for some of those moments. It was special to have them both there this time. 

What are you hoping to accomplish as a senator? 

I remember Ernie McCullough, who competed in the 1948 London Games, said that you won’t know the impact the Olympics will have on you until 30 years after you’ve retired. 

So, I have no idea what impact I will have at the Senate — or its impact on me! At this point, I’m here to learn and to give 100% of what I’ve got. For a long time, I’ve talked about striving for high performance in sport and I don’t think it’s going to be any different here. 

Are there any committees that you’re interested in joining? 

I have found them all to be fascinating. As a new senator, I’ve been sitting in a lot of different committee meetings, everything from banking to national defence. I’ve really enjoyed energy and the environment. I went to the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry and it blew my mind. I think that’s something I could sink my teeth into. 

I haven’t settled anywhere, but I have found all the discussions to be so interesting. I think it would surprise most Canadians to know the level of technical detail and care that goes into Senate work. 

Has anything else surprised you about the Senate? 

It shouldn’t surprise me, but the quality of the people. I was anticipating it was going to be a bunch of old white men “should-ing” all over me, but the place is wonderfully diverse. I haven’t met anyone who isn’t super easy to sit down and chat with. 

People are very curious here. There is lots of advice and support, but nobody’s “should-ing” on you because they’re all asking questions. 

Following her athletic career, Senator McBean became a mentor to young athletes, a coach and a motivational speaker. (Photo credit: Office of Senator Marnie McBean)

Governor General David Johnston invests Marnie McBean as an Officer of the Order of Canada during a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa in 2013. (Photo credit: The Canadian Press)

We’ve heard rumours that you might start leading workout classes at the Senate. 

That’s true. I’ve got to settle in a little more, but Senator Chantal Petitclerc and I have joked that we might start a Wednesday workout group or something like that. 

If only there were 40 hours in the day! I’ll have regular committee work soon and I’m going to be adding French lessons into my schedule too. I can have a conversation in French about sport, but I think it’s important, especially in this role, to be able to listen and speak in both official languages. 

In your first speech in the Senate Chamber, you spoke about your journey coming out as gay as an adult. Why was it important for you to share this story? 

For the most part, the Senate is a progressive group. I think most people, if not everyone, in the Senate Chamber would identify as an ally. But they might be unaware of how hard and challenging coming out and living as a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community can be. I wanted to share my experience in a way that brought that to their attention but wasn’t confrontational. 

I’m a member of the Pride caucus with senators René Cormier and Kim Pate, and we talked about filling Pride Month with as many statements from senators as possible. I wanted to lead with my first statement in the Senate to set a welcoming tone. 

You grew up in Toronto, but you have said that your second home is in B.C., where you were born. How do you stay connected to your home province? 

I moved to Toronto when I was a year old, but we would go back every summer for two months. I did a lot of training in Vancouver and Victoria. My wife and I have a property in Whistler, which we treat like a cottage; all three of us love it there in summer and winter. 

I was appointed as a senator representing Ontario, but a big chunk of my heart and my spirit come from B.C. 

It’s like you represent two regions in the Senate. 

I mention that to some of the B.C. senators and they say, “Thank goodness!” I think it’s fair to say B.C. and the Western provinces are underrepresented in the Senate, which is based on the seats that were allotted in the Constitution, so it feels good to represent B.C. a little bit too! 

As the chef de mission for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, you were often spotted in the stands beating on a drum from Squamish First Nation. Tell us the story behind this drum. 

As chef de mission, you’re the head of the delegation for Team Canada, but you’re also a cheerleader. I am not a quiet person. I have a loud whistle and I had planned a cheer for Team Canada. But all outside spectators, as well as singing, shouting and whistling, were banned during the pandemic, so I knew that the stadiums were going to be very quiet. 

I was trying to figure out how I — as chef de mission and the single fan in the stand — was going to create noise for Canada. I decided on a drum, but I wanted something appropriate, not something off Amazon. 

Olympian Clara Hughes connected me to Tewanee Joseph, a member of the Squamish Nation. He thought it was a wonderful idea. He and his family designed a drum to represent the heartbeat of our nation, the heartbeat of the friends and family who couldn’t be there. 

Senator McBean, right, with wife Deanah Shelly and their daughter Isabel at Cheakamus Lake in Whistler, B.C. in 2023. (Photo credit: Office of Senator Marnie McBean)

Your X bio states that you are a “damn good cook.” What’s your signature dish? 

For my daughter, it’s chicken wings. For my wife, it’s hemp seed and pistachio-crusted wild salmon that’s grilled on the barbecue. There are never any leftovers.