Close to death 3 years ago, softball's Sara Groenewegen now chases gold in Tokyo

Resilient. Adaptable. Stubbornly positive. That’s how Sara Groenewegen describes herself.

But she could have never imagined how much she would have to lean on those characteristics after a brush with death.

Groenewegen, 26, is a high-powered softball pitcher on the Canadian national team, which will take the field against Mexico Wednesday in Fukushima, north of Tokyo. It’s one of the first events of the pandemic-delayed Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

She’s been part of the team for years and has become a leader, but three years ago her life came crashing down. 

“It’s scary to think about how quickly life can change,” Groenewegen told CBC