Hayley Wickenheiser
An amazing, record-breaking female hockey player, Hayley
Wickenheiser’s love of hockey started when she was a young girl. She
proved to be not only passionate, but also highly skilled, determined,
and tough.
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There’s no doubt that Hayley Wickenheiser is the greatest female hockey player in the
world.
The list of her accomplishments is remarkable. She is the first woman ever to play full-
time professional hockey (other than as goalie). She has won three Olympic gold medals
and a silver, and six golds and three silvers at the World Championships. You could fill
pages with all of her awards, medals, and records. But all of this glory did not come
easily.
Hayley’s love of hockey started when she was just a few years old: as she was learning to
skate she was already dreaming of becoming a hockey player. Hayley not only had a
knack for skating, she also had the spirit to keep practicing and keep pushing herself to
improve.
Even with her remarkable natural talent, Hayley faced many challenges growing up as a
female hockey player in rural Saskatchewan. She played on boys’ teams until she was
thirteen, and had to prove over and over that she was just as good, or better, than her
teammates.
Hayley’s formula for success was simple: she just worked harder than anyone else did.