SEATTLE — Jenn Salling is one of the best shortstops to ever play the game.
She started when she was just 5 years old. Now, more than 25 years later, she's still going strong.
"When I make a choice to do something in my life, I just, I'm an all-in kind of person and I just believe that if you're going to make a decision to do something, especially to play at a super high level, you got to do it right and you got to prepare right,” Salling said.
During her three years at the University of Washington softball standout Jenn Salling won a lot.
As a senior she was named the conference defensive player of the year. As a junior she was the Huskies offensive MVP. As a sophomore, she helped Washington win their first and only national championship.
Now this 32-year-old infielder from British Columbia is making one last run with the Canadian national team.
"Jenn is very smart, she understands herself. She understands teams and seeing her go from the 2008 Olympics, being very young, to now being one of the oldest on the team is so cool because she's a leader now,” said UW softball coach Heather Tarr, who coached Salling from 2009 to 2011.
Salling said it was her dad who inspired her to play, but it was Tarr that took her to a new level.
"She's obviously very much about softball development, but I think the one thing I really respect most about her is she really empowers you and she loves leadership and she teaches you what it looks like and I've taken that for the rest of my life,” Salling said.
Salling said winning an Olympic medal for Canada would be a dream come true — kind of like one that came true back in 2009 when Washington won a national championship.
"It was, I mean literally one of the coolest things I've ever done. 100%," Salling said. "To be able to say you have one of those (rings) is awesome, because you work every single day in here, for that.”
A year before winning with Washington, Salling was on the Canadian Olympic team that finished a disappointing 4th place in the 2008 Olympics.
In 2012 and 2016 there was no softball in the summer games, so Salling is not about to waste what could be her last run at glory.
"Rookie, leader and a vet. Completely different experiences," Salling said. "So, I just kind of made the decision after grad school, I was like you're doing this full time and that's what I've been doing. I'm very happy with my decision because I know when I'm done, I can lay my head on my pillow at night and not have any regrets. And I don't want any guilt because that will stick with me for the rest of my life.”
Besides Salling there are two other former Huskies on the Canadian national team, pitcher Danielle Lawrie and outfielder Victoria Hayward.