For every young hockey player growing up in Canada, it’s always a dream of theirs to one day lace up the skates and hit the ice representing the entire nation for the time being. It is something that many take pride in, but don’t really concern themselves about throughout their careers. If it happens it happens and if not, so be it. Those words however are not the words that Meghan Agosta of Canada’s women’s national ice hockey team grew up on. As a big supporter of Steve Yzerman and Cassie Campbell when she was growing up, Agosta knew that she wanted to one day play for Team Canada in the Olympics so she could represent her country just like her childhood heroes got too. It was her determination to make herself better in hockey so she could one day play on the same stage that they were on and she showed the world that hard work does pay off in the long run as long as you stick to whatever it is you want to excel in.
At the young age of 24, Agosta has already represented Team Canada twice at the Olympic stage and can proudly say that she’s two-for-two when it comes to winning the gold medal. The most recent Olympics in Vancouver, Agosta was named the Tournament MVP as she finished with a record-setting nine goals in just five games of action, while tallying six assists on top of that giving her 15 points in five games. However, for someone who has dreamed their entire life about what is now reality, Agosta is happy about the fact that she has kids looking up to her and she has the opportunity to guide them in the right direction for life.
“I don’t look at myself as someone with gold medals,” said Agosta. “I’d rather talk to younger kids and help inspire them to do something in their lives, whether it is an athlete or a doctor, I want to help them live up to their full potential.”
Dating back to 2006, shortly after the Winter Olympics in Torino, Agosta visited almost every school in Essex County and shared her experience with everyone. She has visited hospitals and retirement homes all over since then; with the goal to spread the motivation and the story of her determination with all. She has participated in charitable events such as one that she did for a firefighter who passed away as she helped raise money in the community for the fallen firefighter’s family. She has worked with hospice and is not only starting up a hockey camp of her own this summer, but she plans on creating a foundation of her own that she would like to run for the rest of her life. Her goal with her foundation would be to sponsor children so they get the opportunity to play hockey at a young age just like she was able to.
“My parents had four kids when I was growing up so they knew what it was like trying to spend money and put their kids into hockey, figure skating and summer sports,” she said.
“This is something I would like to do for families who don’t have the financial side of things to put their kids into hockey,” Agosta added.
“Depending on the circumstance of the child, I’m not only going to sponsor them, but I’ll help them with whatever equipment they might need in order to play.”
With the goal of playing for Team Canada one day etched into her brain as a child, Meghan Agosta has achieved what she wanted as a kid and now her dreams continue to grow. She understands how important it is to give back as an athlete, especially to the community she came from and supported her over the years because without their support it makes the dream that much harder to achieve.
“I’ll never forget where I came from,” said Meghan.
“They threw parades for me in 2006 and 2010 after the Olympics; they put up a ‘Welcome, Home of Meghan Agosta’ sign and named a street after me,” she added.
“If it wasn’t for my community, family, and friends, I wouldn’t have been able to get to where I am today.”
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