At the age of eight, Viinberg and her family moved to Regina, Saskatchewan. She attended Argyle Elementary school and graduated from Sheldon Williams Collegiate in 1997. Viinberg wasn’t always a rower. From the moment she saw Calgary Olympian Mark Tewksbury win the 100-metre backstroke at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, she aspired to be a Swimmer. Once adolescence hit at 13, however, Viinberg underwent a massive growth spurt, preventing her from pursuing the sport much further.