Local athletic therapist Rebecca Spiers was part of the senior inline men's team that recently won the International Ice Hockey Federation's world championship in Ingolstadt, Germany from June 1 to 7.
Spiers was selected to join the team through previous experience working with the Sylvan Lake Admirals and head coach Jason Stephens, who guided Team Canada to the gold.
Spiers said while she has previous experience working with other sports teams, none of them have been at this high a level. The Inline team was on a similar level to the ice hockey team that competes at the world championships every spring as the NHL playoffs start.
“It was pretty cool to join the team,” she said, noting one of the best parts of the experience was listening to the Canadian national anthem at the conclusion of the gold medal game, in which Canada beat the host German team. “Definitely winning the gold was the (highlight).”
Spiers said she hopes that this experience puts her in a better position to join other high-level international sports teams in a supporting role, as she feels that would be a great way to advance her career.
Team Canada finished with a 4-1-0-1 record for the tournament, including a 3-0 record in the medal round, beating Great Britain, Slovenia and then Germany to take the gold. Former Olds Grizzly Adam Ross finished tied for second in team scoring and fifth overall during the tournament.
