BY SCOTT
HADDOW
Rebecca Johnston knows how to get a crowd standing on their
feet and roaring with excitement.
The 17-year-old has been making headlines over the last six
months. In August, Johnston made the Canadian Women's National
Under-22 team. She is adjusting to the elite level quickly, and
helped Canada win gold at the recent Air Canada Cup in Germany.
In the final match, Johnston delivered an awesome performance,
pacing the Canadian squad with one goal and two points to lead
them to victory.
Johnston literally had people getting out of their seats at
the recent senior girls' high school hockey game. Playing for
Lo-Ellen, Johnston is dominating the play, scoring 24 goals and
26 points in her first six games. The Grade 12 student also
suits up for the Sudbury Lady Wolves Intermediate AA squad
against boys, leading in that league as well. In 31 games,
Johnston has 29 goals and 51 points.
Johnston is also an accomplished high school track star, and
has won numerous gold medals at city, NOSSA and OFSAA events
over the years.
Despite her enormous successes, she still isn't satisfied.
The crafty teen has her eyes set on bigger goals as her career
unfolds. Johnston is now devoting her time and energy into
making Team Canada for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games (OWG).
Johnston is the fourth of six children. All six Johnston kids play high level hockey. Her older sisters, Katie and Sarah, both play NCAA Division I hockey. Older brother Jacob plays for the Kal Tire Sudbury Junior Wolves, while her younger brothers, Ryan and Steven, also play AAA hockey. Recently, Northern Life reporter Scott Haddow had the chance to discuss Johnston's aspirations, her achievements to date and what it's like being part of one of Sudbury's big sports families.
SH: Winning the gold and having such an impact on the
final game, what did it mean to you?
RJ: It was a great privilege and honour to represent my country...and a greater privilege to win gold. I have never been to Europe before, so it was a learning experience for me. It's the highest medal I have ever won. It ranks first with me. I played with Tessa Bonhomme (also from Sudbury)...it was great. I gave my best in the tournament and I was ecstatic to score in the gold-medal game. It's always exciting to score, let alone in a final game.
SH: What challenges are you facing down everyday
now?
RJ: It's hard to get ice time, especially for our girls' team. I have to work around it...we all do. We practice all over...like Capreol, St. Charles and Azilda. Balancing hockey and school can be hard. With Team Canada, they expect a lot from you. I have to keep up my training. It can be difficult and strenuous during exams. With training, I miss out on a lot of social time with friends and family. It's definitely worth it because I am playing the sport I love.
Whatever sacrifices I have to make to get where I want to go, I will make.
SH: Where do you see yourself over the next three
years as the 2010 OWG approach?
RJ: I want to compete for Canada at the 2010 OWG. That's the dream and I will be working towards it. It would be the highest honour to play for Canada at the Olympics. It's one step at a time right now. I know I can do it. I believe in myself. If I didn't I wouldn't have that goal. I will also be going away to play hockey in the NCAA for Cornell next season. They have a great hockey program there.
SH: What motivates you to work so hard every
day?
RJ: Just the fact I love this sport and I get so much out of it. I made it really far and it's been awesome. I really like playing against high level competition.
SH: How has playing in Sudbury helped you?
RJ: Sudbury has a lot of good coaches and the town has great hockey spirit. There's also really good competition.
There's a tremendous group of girls' hockey players in Sudbury right now...they help push me. Girls' hockey continues to grow. We have a good program set up and a lot of girls are really driven to make it even better.
SH: How have you changed over the last year?
RJ: My game has improved. I learned a lot of stuff from other Canadian players like confidence and staying relaxed at key moments. I've met a lot of new friends. I've become a lot more competitive and want to do better. I have more drive to achieve my goals.
SH: At this stage, do you feel increased pressure as
the spotlight shifts directly on you?
RJ: Yes I do. But there's always pressure, even from myself. I always want to play well and win. I have to deal with more expectations and just keep going forward. I don't let it hold me back.
SH: You're also a highly successful track star. Is
that part of your sports life over and are you focused on
hockey 100 percent now?
RJ: I am going to do track this spring...and that's probably it. I could do it at Cornell, but it would be way too much to handle. I am going to focus on hockey. I'm going to keep running track exercises as it helps with my speed and skating. I've given up other sports in the past like soccer and basketball. It will be sad to let track go, but I have to do what I truly love...hockey.
SH: Who has been the biggest influence in your life
and why?
RJ: My dad, Robert. He's my coach and he's always been there for me and helped me improve my game. He's there when I need him the most. When I have a bad game, he can pick up my spirits. He taught me everything I know about hockey. He's always pushed me to do my best and work hard at anything I do in life.
SH: You come from a big sports family. All six kids
play high level hockey. What was it like growing up in that
environment and do you all get to spend time
together?
RJ: It helped me a lot because all my brothers and sisters are highly competitive people and really love to win. We all like to play road hockey...Jacob is really good at it. We encourage each other at anything we do. It's a lot of fun to be part of a big family as it never gets boring. There's always something happening or someone doing something. It gets harder for us to be together as we all get older. During Christmas, we all went down to a pond and played ice hockey and had fun.
SH: What advice do you have for younger players out
there who are striving to make their dreams come
true?
RJ: You have to follow your goals no matter what happens. You have to always keep working hard because you never know when your break will come and what will happen. Never give up as your goal could be closer than you think and don't let anyone say you can't do it...prove them wrong.
