For Micah Zandee-Hart, her Canada Games experience was basically one big family party.
The Team BC alumni, who captained the Women’s Hockey team at the 2015 Canada Winter Games in Prince George, says it was really special.
“My sister was working in Prince George at the time, so she was on the volunteer committee,” said Zandee-Hart. “That meant all my family all ended up being volunteers and had on the green jackets volunteering at my games. It was super special, the community rallied around the games and the volunteers were amazing!”
The Saanichton, BC native, who now lives in Calgary, became the first female player from BC to make Canada’s Olympic hockey squad which captured Gold at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. She has already had a stellar career at the young age of 25, along with an Olympic gold medal, she’s won Bronze at the 2019 World Championships, Gold at the 2016 Nations Cup, and Silver at the 2015 U18 World Championships, which she won shortly after competing in Prince George.
Zandee-Hart was chosen as the BC’s Opening Ceremony flag bearer at the Games and says it was the first time she was representing something bigger than herself and her hockey teammates.
“With the Olympic dream I had as a kid, it was the first taste of a multi-sport Games and [compete with] athletes from all over the country and you’re wearing the same outfit as the rest of the athletes.
In 2015, BC was in the same group with powerhouses Quebec and Ontario at the Canada Winter Games, where Zandee-Hart recalls a big game against Ontario.
“We were quite a big underdog as Ontario didn’t have one player that wasn’t on U18 Team Canada. We had a ton of energy and went up 1-0 after the first period. We came back to the locker room and you’d think we won the tournament. We ended up losing the game 9-1, but for that one moment we felt like on top of the world but that one period of glory was memorable for me.”
For Zandee-Hart, as devastated as she was with the loss, looking back on it, she realizes the Canada Games are more than just about results.
“You’re at the biggest multi-sport games in the country, watch some sports you’ve never seen before and try and make the most of it so when you come back you have memories of more than just your sport.”