Levesque Lands With REDS

(FREDERICTON, NB) The UNB REDS women’s swimming team is adding butterfly and distance specialist Olivia Levesque to their recruiting class of 2025.

The 17-year-old, from Edmundston, has signed a U SPORTS Letter of Intent, and will join the REDS ahead of the 2025-2026 Atlantic University Sport season.

“Olivia has shown great talent and technique, and we feel she’ll thrive in our program,” said REDS’ head coach Marta Belsh. “We’re excited about adding her next fall.”

Leveques is completing her Grade 12 year at Edmudston’s Ecolé Cité des Jeunes, where she helped the school win a pair of New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Associations junior team titles.

She’s a veteran member of Natation Edmundston Swimming and Team New Brunswick.

At the 2022 Canada Summer Games, in Ontario, Levesque served as a team captain with Team NB.

“I liked the strong sense of team spirit and unity,” said Levesque, following her official recruiting visit with the REDS. “I’m drawn to the supportive environment, where athletes work together and push each other to succeed.”

Levesque participated in a 2022 Team Canada distance training camp.

“We like her resume and we like her determination,” said Coach Belsh. “She pushes through challenges and she values collaboration, which makes her a good teammate. We feel she’ll fit in well with us.”

Levesque has set improving her time in the 800-metre freestyle as a short-term goal with the REDS.

“As for my long-term goals, I want to qualify for the U SPORTS Championships at least once during my time at UNB,” she added.

Levesque will study Mechanical Engineering while attending UNB.

STORY BY: Andy Campbell/UNB Athletics

PHOTO BY: Percy Picard Photographe