HAILEY KING is breaking barriers, on and off the ice.
The Grade 10 student at George McDougall High School has never let her neuromuscular disorder, arthrogryposis, define her limits.
At ten years old, she discovered sledge hockey at an adaptive summer camp, and the sport quickly became her passion.
“I’ve never known what it’s like to run and feel that type of freedom,” says King, whose disorder impacts her ankles.
“But with para hockey, I’ve never felt more alive, I can go so fast, I can feel the wind blowing around me. I’ve also made so many friends, I’ve experienced so much and have seen so much.”
Now, at just 16, King is a trailblazer in para ice hockey, having become the youngest player on Team Canada at age 14 and earning silver at the World Challenge in Norway.
Beyond her athletic accomplishments, King gives back by coaching new players and promoting the sport at events, driven by a deep gratitude for the community that first supported her.
“Despite the adversity she has faced with her disability, Hailey, through her positivity, determination and kindness, has become an Amazing Airdrie Woman,” says nominator and mother, Maureen Feenstra.
In the future, King is determined to see women’s para ice hockey featured in the Paralympics by 2030.