Hayley Wickenheiser is regarded as one of the best female hockey players in the world. The decorated Olympian has led her team to four gold and one silver medal, as well as being named the tournament’s most valuable player in both 2002 and 2006. For the 2014 Sochi Olympics, Hayley was selected to be the flag bearer for the Canadian Olympic team in the Opening Ceremonies. During those same Olympics, it was announced that she had been elected to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Athletes Commission. As part of the Canadian Women’s National Team since age 15, Hayley has won seven gold and four silver medals at the Women’s World Hockey Championships. In non-Olympic years, Hayley kept her skills sharp by playing with the University of Calgary Dinos, graduating in 2013 with a BSc Degree in Kinesiology with a future goal in medicine.
Hayley was named 20th of 25 in Sports Illustrated’s Toughest Athletes in the World. She is a two-time finalist for the Women’s Sports Foundation Team Athlete of The Year, was twice named among the Globe and Mail’s Power 50 influencers in sport, and was named among QMI Agency’s top 10 Greatest Female Athletes in the History of Sports.
In 2011, Hayley was appointed to the Order of Canada, “for her achievements as an athlete and for her contributions to the growth of women’s hockey.”
