Raphaëlle Tousignant: A pioneer in sledge hockey
When the call came from Hockey Canada, Raphaëlle Tousignant could hardly believe it.
"I was just shaking, 'Oh my God, I'm going (to try out for Team Canada).' I almost cried," she says.
Hockey Canada told her she was among the first women in Canada to earn a tryout with the men's national sledge hockey program. On top of that, she was the only woman from Quebec to get the invite.
Breaking the gender barrier in Canadian sledge hockey wasn't something Tousignant thought was possible, until it happened.
"It's awesome. I never thought I'd be here today and be able to be a model for young women in my sport," Tousignant says.
Finding sledge hockey after cancer
Tousignant says from as far back as she can remember, she loved getting active and playing any sport that was available to her.
Her favourite sport was ringette and she played it with passion until shortly before her 10th birthday, when she fell on the ice and noticed a bump on her hip.
Doctors soon discovered the bump was much more serious than a sports injury. It was cancer and they need to remove Tousignant's leg in order to save her life.
She recalls when the doctors told her the news — her first thought was that she wouldn't be able to play ringette anymore.
"I always had sports in my life. I was just shocked and I didn't know what I was going to do," Tousignant says.
Soon after her surgery her father introduced her to sledge hockey and she says she immediately took to the sport.
Within a few years, she found herself playing on some of the top teams in the province and then for the Canadian womens' national team.
Sledge hockey filled her with a renewed sense of self confidence she says. It showed her that she is not alone.
"To see people who are different like me, playing hockey and having a good life, a great job and a family and they are in love. It inspired me to become who I am now."
And who she is now is a surging talent on the ice.
She first made the national women's team at 14 years old — the youngest woman on the team at the time. Now, at 16, she's taking on the men.
"Honestly, I'm comfortable playing with men because I play with men on the provincial team," she says.
"But the challenge is that it's a lot more physical and you have to push yourself more because you want to be at the same level as the men."
Making the team
Getting invited to Hockey Canada's development camp was the first step for Tousignant. The next step was making the development team and she did that this week.
Tousignant was one of two women to make the cut along with Christina Picton, 26, from Font Hill Ontario.
As a result Tousignant will have the opportunity to play in a three-game series against the United States development team as part of this year's 36th annual Défi Sportif.
It marks the first time a Canadian women will play with the men at national level.
"It's incredible," she says "It was just crazy for me to dream about that. Living this moment, I'm very emotional about that."
Watch Douglas Gelevan's one-on-one interview with Raphaëlle Tousignant:
The stands at Howie Morenz arena will be full of friends and family cheering her on when she takes to the ice against the United States.
Tousignant is looking forward to putting on a show for them, but she also wants this milestone to signal to others with handicaps that they can achieve their goals too.
"Believe in your dreams. And if someone tells you that you can't do it, [know that] you can do everything you want. Nothing can stop you. If you believe in your crazy dreams, you will do everything that you want."
Raphaëlle Tousignant and the Canadian national sledge hockey development team will be on the ice Friday, Saturday and Sunday taking on the U.S.A. at the Howie Morenz arena in Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension. For schedules and more info, go here.
