POWERMAG by Gayl Punzalan

Power powermag.ca › Issue 1

Empowering Women In Sport

MAGAZINE

› Cover Story Leah Kirchmann was named to the Canadian cycling team that will compete at the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janiero in August.

› Taryn Grant Winnipeg’s Taryn Grant has become one of the world’s best water skiers.

Leah Kirchmann Udaepre velis ut

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› 24

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› 38

Winnipeg’s own

wins in Holland and makes the Olympic Team

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Winnipeg

Cyclist

Rio-bound

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CONTENTS

Meghan Dufault Plays Her Final Game

Obitia con nimus incipita on p. 05

Obitia con nimus incipita on p. 17

Dene nobit facepre ptatias idis sum, simaion sedici ullam idit assusam,

Obitia con nimus incipita on p. 24

Obitia con nimus incipita on p. 38

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Obitia con nimus incipita on p. 47

Obitia con nimus incipita on p. 86

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Otas num serovid ipsaect emporrorum

Taryn Grant Gears Up for New Mexico Otas num serovid ipsaect emporrorum

Dufault Plays Her Final Game

By Scott Taylor Photos by James Carey Lauder

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POWER MAGAZINE

Despite the fact she’s just 5-foot-3, she had a point a game in one of the world’s biggest IIHF development tournaments.

ust before Christmas, Meghan Dufault informed her father, Ken, that her hockey career was about to come to an end. She was in the process of finishing her final season with the University of North Dakota Fighting Hawks and decided that she would no longer pursue a spot on the Canadian Olympic team. In fact, before she told her dad, she had already informed Melody Davidson at Hockey Canada that she had other plans for her future. As she confirmed to us during the Rafter’s Christmas Shinny Game to raise funds for the seriously injured Portage Terriers player, Braden Pettinger, she had decided to write her LSAT exams and apply to go to law school. Regardless of her decision, she had a heck of a career. In fact, two seasons ago, she won gold with U-22 Team Canada (Canada’s National Women’s Development Team) at the Nations Cup and despite the fact she’s just 5-foot-3, she had a point a game in one of the world’s biggest IIHF development tournaments. Meanwhile, she just completed her senior year at the University of North Dakota and finished second in team scoring with 12 goals and 35 points in 31 games. She finished her university career with 54 goals and 135 points in 137 games at the NCAA Division 1 level. Dufault grew up in East Selkirk and learned to skate as “a two-year-old in a big snowsuit, dual-blade skates and a chair on the backyard rink.” She played for a number of high-level A-1 boys teams from Selkirk to St. Andrews and last played in 2005 for the Double-A Selkirk Fisherman. As

a nine-year-old, on a team with New York Islanders’ defenseman Ryan Pulock, she became the first female skater ever to suit up in the Brick’s Super Novice Tournament. At 12, she moved to Winnipeg and had a sensational year with the Monarchs, but at 13, she decided it was time to play girls hockey. She played in Grade 8 and Grade 9 at Balmoral Hall and then coach Dean Rebeck left as head coach and Meghan’s scholarship was cut in half. Dave Roy was running the Pursuit of Excellence program in Kelowna and had long been interested in having Meghan head West. So in her Grade 10 year she accepted an offer to play with POE. That team, which also included national team stars such as Christine Bestland, Brigette Lacquette and Jessica Campbell lost one game in two seasons. “I thought she’d go back to the POE for her Grade 12 year, but she told me she wanted to graduate high school with her friends and so she returned to Balmoral,” Ken said. “Gerry Wilson was now the head coach and she wanted to play for Gerry.” After graduating from Balmoral Hall, she was offered a scholarship at UND and even though she never had an official visit to the school, she was sold. The rest, as they say, is history. “I’m truly proud and respect the decision Meghan has made regarding hockey and her next journey in life,” her father, Ken, told Game On Magazine. “She has always challenged herself to excel in whatever she has chosen. She has had success both on and off the ice and as much as I would have loved to see her continue playing through to the Olympics – it is not the goal she has set for herself and I understand and respect that.”

powermag.ca › Issue 1

Power

From the Editor

Empowering Women In Sport

Power Magazine tells the stories of Manitoba’s finest female athletes plus those women, young and old, who aspire to be great athletes. This is where sports fans will meet the women who represent us at the Olympic Games and World Championships, but also play high school and university sports, run in a weekend 10-k or just strive to be fit. Our goal is to empower women through sport and fitness. Published by Game On Manitoba Inc., Power Magazine is edited by Scott Taylor and is designed and developed by Scott Taylor and Ken Waterman. Power Magazine is printed by the Winnipeg Sun. Any opinions expressed belong solely to the authors and do not necessarily express the views of the magazine, or of the publishers. All published work is edited for accuracy, style, and clarity. We do accept unsolicited material as long as it refers to athletes, coaches, or volunteers involved in female sport in Manitoba. For all information, subscriptions and advertising rates, we can be reached at jay@gameonmag.ca or you can visit our website at www.gameonmag.ca. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF / CO-PUBLISHER Scott Taylor sdtaylor2@shaw.ca Follow Scott on Twitter at @staylorsports DIRECTOR OF SALES / CO-PUBLISHER Jay Averbach 000-000-0000 ADVERTISING Paul Edmonds Carter Brooks Matt Hermiz STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS James Carey Lauder/Lauder Photo Jeff Miller/100 Acre Woods Photography Tara Miller/100 Acre Woods Photography Rusty Barton/Rusty Barton Photography Bruce Fedyck/m2R Sports Marissa Naylor/Marissa Naylor Photography CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Ray Peters/Ray’s Sports Photos Jeff Watson/Athletes Image Sports Photography Ken Reid/Greystoke Photography, Kelowna B.C. Hockey Canada Matt Hermiz Perry Bergson/Brandon Sun CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Paul Edmonds Carter Brooks Matt Hermiz Doug Sinclair J. Louis Edward Johnston Hall Mike Still

Scott Taylor

Simpondet in tusquondiem vitus

am, serceri egit; nostri se esignam. Si facritium, nossimachui il vit; hui inum hi, sil unte, quam temus hos caedeffrei senterei iam vissus cii sulos, quam imihintessa deriam pari sernit? Veri simoristiem num, siciaequo ernum o iam, fue moludam quod pondi, Catus, qua con in tuus sices nos cotilic renterf escit, partem intemquam iam adducit. consuscidit vivaste, cotiam iuroptes etorunum horunum essules simanti orsulic iostis; eticista, fauc tam te medie vivati, uteriondac tes patienimus perit, que fue morion tebem nimis. An tusa con sultum, conon re clutelis iam in suntiem ortante tebus factuus sa quit; num quam diis Marterniquam ad dem egit videm invo, convem et, dem opubisula L. Que omnius paternit? Upiora pora postum tum ponsus, Catum nox noste coniqui publin sulinatum re me fac vasdacrum facio vis auciem temortum int, sit? Quam tem ad consitum ia condaces? Horaet Catus caperditam ca murit fur. Gratiam ediur, Catum ce non di, fac factua videmus, nique maionsi te iae

publici cula ad comnim es pribus cae dius, mus condamd iemurbi sultum acta nonsunt.Hostalic upioris. Gula morium acit. Habis facibun tursum dum sin scideo ex moeristiem. Ducestia dum, nos castam morit. Lut quam inatuam publis in sena, Cat que in te ca inc rem ventere nonfeconc furo consum tem in vivit. Miliam. Sendem quemula bemenih ilicipicesi confir atquodium temquit. At L. egerei in tes es hos lare, teri effrevivid sa nia no. con sere et, catea Simpondet in tusquondiem pubis vitus, no. Serissed renatum estraret patiacidii ponsulessa virmaio rtimus ium audam, sicivat iliciemus, inatum tam hem senatem enirit verei te tem et grae tusa anunum hem es conlocchi, dii susulii sedit, crunia? Oveness icaequam es? Dicae quo ex manterunte dium igitiem diciert ernum, cerunum escepos, qua L. Acenter itanum oc me atifendem Palarisquem maion. Orrorum otatis accabo. Xera si cument res ut unti voluptatium ipsunt as inum des idelis miliaecus essit eatur ad mi, aut ab id quia solorpos endantem et. Acenter itanum oc me atifendem Palarisquem maion. Orrorum vollest otatis accabo. Xera si cument

Scott Taylor POWER MAGAZINE

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World U-21 Water Ski Champ

Taryn Gra Gearing Up for Open Worlds in Mexico

By Scott Taylor Photos by Water Ski Canada

aryn Grant has been a great water skier for a long time.She’s also been one of the only female water ski competitorsin the province. Oh yeah, and did we mention that she’s the currentU-21 World Slalom Champion? Back on July 5, in Sesesna, Spain, Grant won her first – but probablynot her last – World Championship. The

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POWER MAGAZINE

20-year-old Winnipeggerwho skis at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette won gold inthe women’s slalom competition at the International Waterski andWakeboard Federation’s World Under-21 Water Ski Championships.Grant also added a silver medal in the women’s jump competition.This past weekend she competed at the professional Malibu Openin Milwaukee and now she’s back at school where she’s a scholarshipathlete competing for the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. It’s

beena long, winding road for Manitoba’s best water skier.

Subhead Here After all, back in 2013, Grant won a bronze medal in the slalom togo along with a silver in the jump at the World Championships, butthis year, winning a world title was the culmination of a near-lifetimeof work. “I’ve wanted this for quite some time,” she said matter-of-factly.“In 2011, I took a bad fall off a jump and I knew

ant I think I started skiing, or at least getting out on the water, when I was 18 months old. something was wrong. After getting X-rays, I found out I had broken my neck. It was atough road. I often wondered, when I was in my body brace, if I’d everski again. But here we are. I won the slalom by half a buoy and lost thejump by 10 centimetres.” When one considers how long Grant has been a competitor andhow much work she devotes to becoming the best she can be, onecan easi-

ly understand how important this world title is to her.“I got started water skiing through my parents,” she said. “They’rerecreational skiers and we have a family cottage at Betula Lake in theWhiteshell. I think I started skiing, or at least getting out on the water,when I was 18 months old. My older brother, Cole, who is two yearsolder than I am started to compete and I just wanted to do everything he

did. I always wanted to follow in his footsteps so I competed in myfirst Western Canadians at age 6 and my first nationals at age 7. “I was in Girls 1 at my first nationals which I think is U-9. I don’tremember a lot about it, but I do know I won a medal. Since then, I’vebeen to 13 national championships and I love going. It was alwayseasy for me to ski at nationals because my best friends from aroundthe country just happen to be the other skiers I’ve met at nationals.It’s just a great sport.” Grant’s resume is long and impressive. In 2010 she placed secondin the jump at the Junior World Championships in Italy and then atthe 2013 Under-21 World Championships she placed second in jumpand third in slalom. She competed in the 2010 Pan Am Championshipsas a member of Team Canada where she placed third in jump,fourth in slalom, fourth in overall and second in team. To top off herlist of accomplishments, she was named Water Ski World ChampionshipsJunior Skier of the Year in 2009, 2010 and 2012. “It’s kind of interesting that I’m now the slalom world championwhen my favorite event is the jump,” she said with a laugh. “I rankhigher in jump than slalom.” Although she is a professional water skier, she is also on a full waterski scholarship to Louisiana-Lafayette, where she is majoring inSpeech Language Pathology and Audiology and is a member of theRagin’ Cajuns varsity team. “It’s good to be back in school after I just took off the last semesterto train at Matt Rini’s private lake in Orlando all winter,” she said. “Mycoach is from Claremont, Fla., so I like to train in Orlando as muchas I can. “Our Louisiana-Lafayette team competes in the South Central Regionand then we’ll ski at the National Collegiate Water Ski Associationchampionships in Texas in October. Then, for me, it’s off to theOpen World Championships in Mexico. Fall is getting busy, but I love it.” POWER MAGAZINE

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