Jane S. Thornton is a Canadian rower and international advocate for physical activity. She was born in Fredericton, New Brunswick.She won a gold medal at the 2006 World Rowing Championships in the women's coxless pairs with Darcy Marquardt. She finished in fourth place at the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics in the women's eights with Ashley Brzozowicz, Darcy Marquardt, Buffy Williams, Sarah Bonikowsky, Romina Stefancic, Andréanne Morin, Heather Mandoli and cox Lesley Thompson-Willie.Thornton earned a BSc, MSc and Ph.D. in Kinesiology and Sport Medicine from the University of Western Ontario before attending medical school at the University of Toronto, where she added an MD to her list of academic credentials. Following medical school, she undertook a year of medical residency abroad in Switzerland and gained valuable international experience to fuel her passion for the use of physical activity for prevention and treatment of chronic disease.