I can’t remember exactly the last time I spoke with Kendra Fisher.
In fairness, neither can she.
But we both agreed it wasn’t yesterday.
In my memory banks, it seems to me that she was progressing through the Canadian National Women’s Hockey program, identified as an elite netminder who was streaming into either the Under 18 or Under 22 Women’s teams at the time.
Kendra Fisher is 33 now, so we’re right, the last interview wasn’t yesterday.
In the interim, I’d kind of lost track of Kendra, who obviously was a prominent name in Minor Hockey in the region, first for being an exceptional goalie, but more so, because she was a girl playing with the best boys teams in Kincardine and beyond.
It’s not rare for me to lose track of local athletes when they depart the city or region for bigger and better things. But Kendra’s absence from the limelight was not a Disney story where local girl makes good in the big time.
Oh, she made good, but at the very height of her on ice days, in what should have been moments of celebration and satisfaction, Kendra Fisher was plagued with panic attacks, depression and agoraphobia which forced her to leave the program.
Kendra Fisher plays in-line hockey now, when she’s not speaking to heighten awareness of mental health. She was in Kincardine earlier this week and will be at West Hill later this week.
A lot of time has passed between interviews with Kendra Fisher who relates she’s encouraged there’s progress in dealing with the issue, with people getting help, yet she admits she’s also discouraged that far too many people fall through the cracks.
I’m Fred Wallace