Inspiration to Live Your Magic: 75 Inspiring Biographies

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. 

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Her dedication made her not only an award-winning player, but also an inspiring role 
model for other girls.
After becoming a star in women’s amateur hockey and international tournaments, Hayley 
Wickenheiser turned her eyes toward the biggest prize yet - the professional leagues, 
where only men played.
She made her historic breakthrough in professional leagues in Europe. Again, she had to 
out-work the men around her to be fast enough and strong enough to hold her own. 
Playing there in 2003, Wickenheiser added another remarkable credit to her career - 
becoming the first woman to score a professional hockey goal.
Back home in Canada, she is a national hero - captain of the Olympic and national 
hockey teams, top goal scorer, most valuable player, and regular member of all-star 
squads.
But it’s not just her accomplishments that make her a star - it’s also her attitude. Sports 
Illustrated magazine has named Hayley Wickenheiser one of the “Twenty-Five Toughest 
Athletes Ever.” She’s living proof of how hard work and determination, combined with 
talent, can make you the best in the world.
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