Getting to know Elise Visentin
When Elise Visentin isn’t training the schoolteachers of tomorrow, she can be found skipping her way into the record books.
Elise joined VIU’s Faculty of Education in 2025 as a Field Experience Supervisor. In this role, she helps prepare pre-service teachers as they enter the classroom.
When Elise isn’t helping students develop their teaching skills she can be found refining her skills as a jump rope athlete. Elise is a member of the Victoria Island Hoppers. She, along with six of her fellow club jumpers, are heading to Japan next month to compete as part of Team Canada in the 2025 International Jump Rope Union’s World Championships.
We connected with Elise to get to know more about her and learn how she discovered the joy of jumping.
What is your favourite part of the job?
There are so many parts of this job that I love, but if I had to pick my favourite, it’s seeing the pre-service teachers developing their teaching skills over the term. As a Field Experience Supervisor, I get to review the pre-service teachers’ lessons beforehand and give them feedback before I observe them. Their teaching improves a lot during this process, and it’s been such a rewarding experience!
When you’re not at work, what do you like to do?
When I’m not at work, you’ll most likely find me jumping rope (a.k.a. skipping).
I started jumping in 2021 when I was looking for a fun way to stay active during the pandemic. I bought a rope, gave it a try and before I knew it, I was obsessed. I was practicing new tricks every week, connecting with other jumpers online and eventually meeting up with them in person. By September 2023, I was inspired to start training for competitions, focusing on six different events in the 30+ age group. My first competition was the Jump Rope BC Provincials in April 2024, where I placed first in four events and qualified for nationals. At nationals, I earned a first-place finish in the double under relay and was excited for more opportunities to compete. In November 2024, I qualified to be on Team Canada and will be competing in five events in the International Open Tournament happening in Japan at the end of July.
It still feels very surreal that I made Team Canada, but I can’t wait to be surrounded by all the amazing athletes at the world championship!
One random fact about you:
When I moved to British Columbia from Toronto in 2021, I drove across the country with all my belongings in a VW Beetle. Fun but wouldn’t recommend!