You think you’re busy ?
Try skating the circuit Vicki Bendus of Wasaga Beach has been navigating.
Bendus is a member of the Canadian Women’s Hockey team who won the Gold Medal at the World Championship 10 days ago in Burlington, Vermont.
But Bendus is also a university student with year end exams that co-intersected with the World Championships, which meant for most of the past two weeks she was either at the rink or at the Library.
There’s no doubt, as significant as the university exams were, Bendus had more focus on the hockey, making her first ever appearance at the World Championship.
But interestingly enough she applied the learning skills of the classroom into the role she was asked to play for Canada.
You see, Bendus is a very gifted player, a winner previously of the Patty Kazmaier Award, which goes to the top player in NCAA Women’s Hockey.
But for this tournament, Bendus was asked to change her role; to shift from being a playmaker and consistent offensive threat, to becoming a checking center with shutdown responsibilities.
She did it well as the Gold Medal would testify, but in her own mind, she feels there’s room to grow.
With hockey now finished and exams written, Vicki Bendus can slow down, for a few weeks, but there’s another hockey season just ahead and looking beyond that, the chance to play at the 2014 Olympics, maybe as Canada’s best two way performer in women’s hockey.
I’m Fred Wallace