Emmanuelle Schick Garcia was born in the south of France to a Spanish mother and a Canadian father. At the age of three her family moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada where she grew up. Her father, Doug Schick, was a professional rugby player who represented Canada in international competitions. At eighteen, she earned a swimming scholarship to University of California, Los Angeles where she received a B.A. in Art History. During her time at UCLA she was also a student-athlete activist and a journalist for the Daily Bruin.