More than an Olympian…

About Larissa Franklin

Larissa Franklin embodies resilience, determination, and excellence. A member of Team Canada Softball since 2013, she helped make history as part of the first Canadian softball team to win an Olympic medal, bringing home bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Games. She is also a Guinness World Record Holder, Pan American Games gold, silver, and bronze medalist, and a 3× World Championship bronze medalist. Part of a generation that waited over a decade for softball’s return to the Olympic program, Larissa persevered through burnout, injuries, and an Olympic postponement.

In early 2025, shortly graduating from Queen’s University with her Master’s in Management, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship degree, Larissa faced her toughest challenge yet: an aggressive lymphoma diagnosis. Through chemotherapy and fatigue, she continued to train, showing up with persistence and self-compassion. Just three days before Team Canada’s training camp, she learned she was in remission, returning to the field and helping Canada secure gold at the Pan American Championships.

Off the field, Larissa works on RBC’s Enterprise Brand Team as part of the proud roster of RBC Olympians. She also leads her speaking and coaching business, All It Takes Inc., sharing her journey with thousands of audiences. Drawing on both her athletic career and cancer experience, Larissa inspires others to embrace life’s curveballs, turn obstacles into opportunities, and thrive through uncertainty.