Elise Visentin is no stranger to the winners' podium, having won several events at provincial and national stage. (Submitted photo)

By Ian Holmes

Skippin' strong

VIDEO: Nanaimo teacher makes astonishing leap to Team Canada jump rope team

Jun 20, 2025 | 5:26 AM

NANAIMO — Originally a casual jump-roper to stay in shape, a Nanaimo woman’s home-based hobby is skipping her into the international spotlight.

Elise Visentin, a 32-year-old on-call teacher, finds it hard to believe the doors jump-roping opened in her life.

Dominated internationally by younger athletes in the mid teens to early 20’s range, Visentin is an outlier among 100 Canadians competing in the 2025 World Jump Rope Championships in late July/early August in Kawasaki, Japan.

One of only four Canadian athletes beyond 30-years-old, Visentin “became obsessed” with jump-roping while trying out tricks widely shared on social media.

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“I did not expect when I bought a rope four years ago that I would be on Team Canada, that I would be competing to the level that I am today, but here we are, its been such a nice journey,” Visentin told NanaimoNewsNOW.

After making the move to Nanaimo from Ontario in 2021, Visentin progressively took jump rope more seriously, with the help being included virtually in a Vancouver-based jump rope team.

She upped her training routine to several times a week, refining her speed, endurance, strength, and various technical tricks.

By 2023, Visentin unexpectedly became a provincial champion in the 30-years-old and up age class in the 30 second sprint and 3 minute endurance categories.

“I was blown away,” Visentin said, who also supervises student teachers at Nanaimo’s VIU campus.

Visentin’s ascent continued by qualifying for Team Canada last fall in Abbotsford.

This spring, Visentin obtained personal bests in two events at a provincial championship in Nelson, B.C., while also placing in second place at a national event in Saskatoon, despite recovering from an injury.

Elise Visentin competing in a timed speed challenge in Nelson, where she would win a pair of events in her age category. (Submitted photo)

While a select number of athletes around the world jump-rope professionally such as touring shows like Cirque du Soleil, Visentin said the sport isn’t a lucrative one monetarily.

Some competitors elect to enter one event a year, while others take the trade much more seriously.

“There’s athletes that do this six times a week and are really amazing in this sport. I’m excited to be able to go to Japan and see them compete because those are the people that really inspired me.”

Visentin is competing in four categories in Kawasaki, a suburb of Tokyo, including individual and choreographed team events in the 30+ category.

She won’t have much time for sightseeing.

When she’s not competing, Visentin will help to coach teammates and is also volunteering at the event.

While fueling her competitive juices and increasing her fitness level lured Visentin to jump-rope, she believes enhancing her mental health has had the most profound impact on her life.

“Jump rope has been something that’s been there for me: through the pandemic, through moving across the country, through some of my anxiety that I experience. It will always be there and I know when I get to training, once i pick up that jump rope, my stress melts away.”

By telling her remarkable jump-roping rise story, Visentin hopes she can help eliminate self-limiting beliefs others may have.

“It could be knitting, crocheting, playing hockey, it could be anything that has always interested you. I don’t think that age should be a limiting factor. That’s one of the main messages I’d like to share.”

From rope-skipping casually at home, to competing in provincial and national events, Elise Visentin will compete internationally for the first time in Japan next month. (Submitted photo)

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