King’s student athlete Lori Josephson discovers passions both on and off the field

King’s student athlete Lori Josephson moved to London from her small community in Beaverton, Ontario, so she could play rugby while pursuing academic studies.  Now, a fourth year student completing a double major in Sociology and Criminology, Josephson wholeheartedly believes that her role as a scrum on the Western Mustangs Rugby team gave her the chance to discover her passions in life, both on and off the field.

“I’ve met my best friends through rugby, and I won’t give it up until my body won’t let me play anymore.  Then, when my body says no, I’d like to coach and spread my knowledge and experience to kids, just like my coaches and mentors did for me,” says Josephson.  “If it wasn’t for sports, I would be lost.  It forces me to manage my time so that I can do both athletics and academics with full effort.”

Josephson was an avid basketball player in high school, but after playing rugby for a couple of years, she fell in love with the sport and decided to pursue it at the varsity level.  She knew coming to King’s and playing on the Western Mustangs Rugby team was the right decision for her.  The coaching staff and teammates helped her transition to university life from the first day she made the team.

“I couldn’t have done it without them,” says Josephson.  “I moved three hours away from home to come here, and I ended up making 30 awesome friends just from being on the rugby team, many who have become my best.”

Josephson was named a Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Women’s Tugby All-Canadian in October, prior to the start of the 2013 CIS Women’s Rugby Championship.

The Mustangs finished the regular season in second place in the Shiels Division with a 3-2 record and advanced to the OUA Semi-Finals for the first time in five seasons.  Although they did not make it through, Josephson is excited for next year and is confident that the Mustangs will be contending for an OUA championship, because “we have all the tools to do that.”

Josephson plans to come back to King’s next year and play for the Mustangs.  She admits she’s pretty stubborn and won’t leave until she has a medal around her neck.

“My goal for rugby is to play in a World Cup or play 7s rugby in the Olympics someday. Representing my country at the senior level is a goal of mine to achieve in my years after university.”