Vanessa Gilles to represent Cincinnati and Canada

When Vanessa Gilles was an all-conference women's soccer player at the University of Cincinnati, she never envisioned being a part of the Olympics.

But life happens.

Gilles, who played for the Bearcats from 2014-17 and was named the 2017 American Athletic Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year, will suit up for the Canadian women's national team in the Tokyo Olympics.

"My four years at UC were obviously monumental to me being here," Gilles said Monday. "I think one thing that's really stuck with me and that's helped me along the way was Neil (UC women's soccer coach Neil Stafford) and Neil's mentality of the relentless grind. He always used to say, and he probably still does, 'Hard work beats talent.' That's something that I've taken with me every step of the way. I've never been the most talented, the most technical or the most tactical player, but I've always been the hardest worker. That's what I've had going for me and that's what I've taken from UC, for sure."