Hayley Wickenheiser: Born to Play

Liz Dennett is a public service librarian in the Science and Technology
Library at the University of Alberta.

Canada’s best women’s hockey player, Hayley Wickenheiser, is an
“extraordinary combination of skills, intelligence, and fierce
determination who is always testing herself.” She started playing
hockey at three years old on a backyard rink in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan.
Growing up, she played on boys’ teams and was often named the MVP of
her team and league. At 15, she “became the youngest player ever to
claim a spot on Canada’s national team.” From there, she became a
growing force on the Canadian team, establishing herself as a highly
effective goal scorer. When the Olympics included women’s hockey for
the first time, in Nagano in 1998, Hayley was the rising star of the
team and was devastated by their loss in the finals. But she kept
training hard, participated at the Summer Olympics in softball in
Sydney, overcame a knee injury, and four years later led her team to the
gold medal in Salt Lake City. Not stopping there, Hayley continued to
challenge herself. In 2003, she became the first North American woman to
play for a pro mens’ hockey team when she was signed to HC Salamat in
Finland.

This biography, which includes lots of photographs of Hayley in action,
is an unabashed tribute to Hayley’s talent, hard work, and
determination. Her fans will enjoy reading this lively account of her
life, and be inspired by her accomplishments. Because of her stature in
Canadian hockey history, this book is a must-have for public libraries.
Recommended.