International hockey icon and youth sport advocate Hayley Wickenheiser to deliver keynote address at 2023 Sport for Life Summit

Sport for Life is excited to announce that Canadian hockey icon Hayley Wickenheiser will be one of the keynote presenters for the 2023 Sport for Life Summit, which will take place in multiple communities across Canada throughout February and March. 

Wickenheiser is regarded as one of the best female hockey players in the world, representing Team Canada at 13 World Championships and six Olympics. During her Olympic appearances, she led her team to four gold and one silver medal, and was named the tournament’s most valuable player in 2002 and 2006. She was also a member of the Canadian national softball team at the 2002 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. She was recently inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and has played in or coached at four NHL development camps with the Philadelphia Flyers, the Edmonton Oilers and the Toronto Maple Leafs – the first woman in history to have done so. She also holds the record for the most assists, points and goals for the Canadian Women’s National team.

Wickenheiser’s passion for sport is paralleled by her drive to give back to the community, particularly to organizations with a commitment to youth including Plan International and their Because I am a Girl campaign, KidSport, Right To Play, and her very own initiative WickFest.  

In non-Olympic years, Wickenheiser was a dedicated student-athlete at the University of Calgary, graduating in 2013 with a BSc Degree in Kinesiology. Since then, Hayley has earned multiple university degrees, raised a child, became a senior director of player development for the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs, and achieved her goal of becoming a medical doctor. Wickenheiser has also recently published a book, Over the Boards, where she shares her experiences as a leader in male-dominated fields such as hockey and medicine.

Wickenheiser 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, Wickenheiser was appointed to the Order of Canada for her achievements as an athlete and her contributions to the growth of women’s hockey.

“Hayley Wickenheiser has always been one of my role models growing up. In her recently published book Over the Boards, Hayley shares some of the challenges she faced as a female in male-dominated positions and the philosophies that transformed her into the leader she is. She has always inspired Canadians on and off the ice, demonstrating that perseverance and hard work will give you the strength to take on whatever challenges lay ahead,” said Sport for Life’s Chrissy Colizza. 

“Hayley Wickenhesier is the epitome of thriving through changing times. You will not want to miss what she has to say.”