Ruth Sutherland was certain her great-niece was going to bring home a second gold medal.
Despite a late game two-goal deficit in the gold medal game, the great-aunt of Canadian women’s Olympic hockey team forward Haley Irwin had a feeling the squad would emerge victorious.
And nearly two weeks after she was proven right, she and fellow residents at Isabella Retirement Living received a visit from Irwin and her new Olympic gold medal. “At the end of the second period somebody asked what I thought. I said I’m not giving up now,” Sutherland said on Monday. “Nobody could even really talk. She had to make it.”
For Irwin, 25, sharing her celebration with somebody who was right there when she first learned how to play hockey in Terrace Bay has been one of the best parts of the experience. “She’s been one of my biggest supporters, same as my grandparents,” Irwin said. “To hear her say that, there’s probably a little of that in me too. I never gave up so her support is tremendous for me.”
Since arriving back in Thunder Bay nearly a week ago, she has heard numerous stories about people watching the tense final minutes of the game.
One of her favourites involves the Americans’ attempt at the empty net that would have put the game away. “A lot of people talk about when the puck hit the post and they were blowing the television trying to blow the puck one way or the other,” Irwin said. “They all said when it was 2-0 when there were a couple of minutes left and said a little prayer and they never gave up hope.”
In addition to taking pictures with the residents, she also fielded questions about the Olympic experience.
They wanted to know about the accommodations and cuisine in Sochi, as well as Irwin’s mindset on the threats of terrorism that dominated headlines leading into the start of the Olympics.
Some of the women expressed their admiration for Irwin and how she is showing that women are capable hockey players. “Haley is a good example for young girls,” said resident Yvonne Silvinski-Degagner. “When my daughter was younger she wanted to play hockey so badly but they never the girls in.”
Hearing those comments made Irwin take a step back and reflect on her opportunities. “When you play hockey you don’t really think of a lot of those things. To hear them say that puts you in your spot for a second and it makes me realize how lucky I have been to be able to play sports and play a game this nation loves,” she said. “To grow the women’s game in Canada and all over the world is something we try to do everyday and to raise awareness for women and how they can play sports, be active and set their dreams as big as the Olympics.”
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