- 9 hours ago
Making Canada's Team Season 1 Episode 1
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Short filmTranscript
00:00Before the lights, before the anthem, before the world is watching, there is the journey.
00:10From the hidden corners to the busy centers across our nation, those on the journey rise.
00:30Every hopeful faces different sacrifices, birthdays missed, injuries endured, lives paused in the name of something that may never come.
00:54But through it all, there is one constant, the destination.
01:00In Milano, we can win everything. If there's a team to do it, it's ours.
01:03I'm saying that it's my last opportunity to do what it needs to be.
01:07Working in the hockey Canada jersey with our last team in the back was like...
01:12We'll be literally the world to me.
01:21Because here, making Canada's team isn't the end of the journey. It's only the beginning.
01:28It's early 2025. One year out from the 25th Olympic Winter Games in Milano, Cortina.
01:37100 years of history set against the majesty of the Italian Alps.
01:41The Canadian athletes, there they are.
01:45Gold medal, Lucy Green, Canada.
01:50Who aren't? He did it! That's a gold medal!
01:53No Canadian has ever won three individual medals in one year.
01:56I'm glad it happened to me.
01:58Jennifer Jones from curling great to curling legend.
02:01They are the greatest ice dancers, maybe of all time.
02:06Again, let's start it!
02:07The golden goal!
02:10And Canada has once in a life, Olympic gold!
02:15To compete here is to be written into that history.
02:20Each participant, whether a decorated great in their discipline
02:23or an idealistic dreamer must walk a diverse and difficult path to this destination.
02:30In Dumontain, Quebec, Michael Kinsbury, the greatest mogul skier ever, writes his final chapter.
02:44In Hartsville, PEI, Mark Arends carries an entire community.
02:49In Terrebonne, Quebec, Raphael Toussignon aims to extend the reach of women in sport.
02:55In Kimberley, BC, Kala Eriksson and Sierra Smith prepare for para-alpine.
03:02In Montreal, Quebec, William D'Angeneau, the next one, is dedicated to delivering on his potential.
03:10In Calgary, Alberta, Alex Luton balances the surprise weight of expectation
03:16while Johan Estrick-Parkinson's expectations for himself weigh heavy.
03:21And in Toronto, Ontario, the most densely populated hockey-mad city in the world.
03:34One of the city's brightest stars is Natalie Spooner.
03:39And she plays for the Toronto Scepters of the Professional Women's Hockey League.
03:44The Scepters play the Ottawa Church today in the final game of the season.
04:08To prepare for this high-stakes match-up, Natalie warms up with Rory, her first-born son.
04:14He wants to play hockey every hour of the day, don't we?
04:17We want everyone to play hockey. He tells us we need two hands on our stick.
04:21I think it would be a lot harder if he didn't like hockey,
04:23or if he didn't want to come to the rink and watch, but he gets so excited to come.
04:28Brady, are you going to stop it?
04:29Oh, good save!
04:31Do you want another one?
04:32I think having Rory run has, like, put things into perspective a little,
04:36and just, I've been able to, like, separate a lot more from hockey,
04:39so in a sense, I think it's actually helped me.
04:42A star for Canada's women's Olympic team at the last three games,
04:46Spooner was a headline pick for the Scepters in their inaugural season.
04:52Toronto is beyond thrilled to draft Natalie Spooner.
04:56The Scepters would be rewarded as Natalie dominated the league,
05:03winning the scoring title and league MVP.
05:06A chance of a breakaway for Spooner.
05:09Here she comes, looking for 18, and she gets it!
05:13Who else, but Natalie Spooner...
05:15But a catastrophic knee injury during the last season's playoffs
05:19sidelined her for the majority of the sophomore season
05:22and has proven difficult to come back from.
05:25That's a huge loss if she goes down for Toronto.
05:28You know, it was hard to see her hurt,
05:30but every time you see them on the ice or they go down,
05:34it's like, oh, my goodness, are they going to be okay?
05:37You still get that feeling.
05:38I don't think it's ever going to stop
05:40because it's your child that's there, right?
05:43And you want to run on the ice and help them, but you can't.
05:47I'm sure she's going to get back as strong as ever
05:49because she always comes back.
05:51I had totally blown up my ACL.
06:08It was, like, folded back and not a good scenario,
06:11so then feel guilty that you can't be out there.
06:14Like, you're like, what could I have done better?
06:15Did I not sleep enough?
06:16Did I not eat something properly?
06:18Like, there's really no other thoughts and, like, it sucks.
06:22Then once you have the surgery,
06:23it's like they just blew up your whole life.
06:25Like, they just, it was painful.
06:27Like, it just, it was, like, so much worse
06:29than what the original injury was.
06:31And I was like, why do people do this?
06:33Your body, like, just doesn't think
06:35your leg is your own anymore almost.
06:37Like, you have to, like, retrain your leg to do everything.
06:39I would love to say that, like, you know,
06:42I'm back and I feel that good,
06:44but I think that maybe people thought
06:46I'd be able to step right back into that role,
06:48but at the same time, like, I've, you know,
06:49I've been through a major surgery
06:51and still in, like, the process of rehabbing,
06:55so hopefully start to feel more closer
06:59to what I was last year.
07:00Confidence is shaken easier than it is built,
07:06even for established spurs.
07:08But for athletes beginning a whole new journey,
07:11building that first foundation
07:13can be downright impossible.
07:18Hey, no, I'm going to help you,
07:19and you're going to get better now.
07:22Because I'm a coach,
07:23and I've been in your exact position.
07:26You're going to do it right, though, right?
07:28Yeah, that's all I need then.
07:29I'm happy.
07:30Tight.
07:32Okay, that one was actually pretty good.
07:33We have 15 minutes, okay?
07:35Can you do 15 more minutes?
07:37For me, this has been kind of my second home
07:39for my whole life.
07:40I started out my first athletic career here as a kid.
07:43I was a diver when I was about 7 or so,
07:45so it's been a good long while here.
07:48I guess that makes, like, almost 16, 17 years
07:50that I've been coming to this facility.
07:54Johan has been an Olympic hopeful before,
07:57chasing glory at the end of a diving board.
08:00In 2024, he stood on the stage
08:03of the World Aquatics Championships in Doha,
08:06representing Jamaica.
08:07But Paris 2024 slipped away.
08:11The Olympic dream was left unfinished.
08:13Short of vertical,
08:15maybe missing a bit of space at the end
08:17to complete the dive correctly.
08:19Now, his sights are set on a new path
08:22and a new sport.
08:24Bobsleigh, a huge risk that could pay off later,
08:27but one that comes with sacrifice now.
08:29I live in my family's basement,
08:32and I'm 25,
08:33and I'm still having to find ways,
08:37explore more ways to keep receiving funds.
08:40Hey, that's pretty good, man.
08:43Yeah, you went in straight.
08:45To give you an idea of just the expenditure of a team,
08:48like, staying at hotels the whole time,
08:49you're having to buy food,
08:50and then there's the matter of shipping the sleds out.
08:52But at the end of the day,
08:53we're still left with pretty much thousands of dollars
08:56and fees that we have to pay for
08:58to make all that possible.
09:00What the dive coaching does for me
09:02is that it's a flexible job
09:03that I can always come back to.
09:05Johan puts in long hours at the pool
09:07so he can show up here
09:09at Canada Olympic Park's bobsleigh track.
09:12At the pool, he's the one everyone looks to.
09:16But now, the roles are flipped.
09:19He's the pupil
09:19and must take instructions,
09:22not give them.
09:26First, across, and then, right?
09:29Yeah, yeah.
09:29Across, and go.
09:31Johan's.
09:32Everything gets a lot faster,
09:33everything gets a lot heavier,
09:34so he's got to be able to just survive and hold on.
09:44That was both hands at the same time.
09:45Sorry about that.
09:46No, no, no, no, no.
09:47That's fine.
09:48That's not good.
09:51Yep, yep, yep.
09:52So I got one more push.
09:57It's getting better.
09:58It's kind of a process to it, right?
10:00It's very, like, logical,
10:01and I like that part of it.
10:03If you can get this hand moving
10:04at the same time as your foot,
10:06then your whole body is going towards you.
10:09Yep, yep, yep.
10:15Although coaches are happy with him,
10:17Johan's technique can still use some work.
10:19That's the end of the camp.
10:23Great progress for some of the guys
10:26all the way through,
10:27like, working on your positions on the sled.
10:30Yeah, I don't really have much to say.
10:31That was pretty good.
10:32We didn't have to show a lot of videos for corrections.
10:35You guys are doing a pretty good job on everything.
10:38We're trying to keep it as consistent as possible.
10:40You know, my every day,
10:41if I can show up, put in the work,
10:43walk away, return tomorrow,
10:45and try and elevate but stay consistent,
10:47that's the key at this point.
10:48For Johan,
10:51the journey to his first world aquatics event
10:54took 14 years.
11:02But when he turned to bobsleigh,
11:04he had just one year
11:06to master the sport's unforgiving demands.
11:08And now,
11:11with less than a year until the Olympics,
11:14the challenge is not only to make Team Canada,
11:17but to be the best.
11:19A corner of the Italian Alps
11:34sets the stage
11:35for the last bout
11:36of the freestyle ski season.
11:39Here,
11:39elite moguls
11:40and aerial skiers
11:41compete
11:42for the prestigious
11:43Crystal Globe.
11:45This weekend
11:58is the highlight
11:59of most careers,
12:01but for Mikel Kingsbury,
12:02it's just another opportunity
12:04to prove to the world
12:05he is still
12:06the best mogul skier
12:07of all time.
12:09Okay,
12:11that's a big one.
12:14It's a big one.
12:17Be sure.
12:18So it's a big one.
12:20I'm excited,
12:21I'm still hoping
12:21that this has been a long season.
12:23It's been a long season,
12:23a lot of stress,
12:24but he is happy.
12:26We're happy.
12:27So it's going to be
12:27a little moment family after this?
12:29A little moment family,
12:30we're going to be
12:31We're going to stay in La Vigneau, eat potatoes, drink wine, and enjoy being together.
12:43Kingsbury is chasing greatness again, hoping to secure 100 World Cup wins before February 2026.
12:52He sits at 98 with two chances at this event to get him there.
12:57His first obstacle, Japan's Ikuma Horishima.
13:02Two men who have battled all season.
13:08It's true that it's going with the duels. The duels are intense at the base.
13:13Yeah, it's okay. I don't like the duels. The games in five, it's pretty stressful.
13:19Mick Kingsbury of Canada, the most medalled skier of all time.
13:24This, the last mogul run of the year, head-to-head action between this year's two best.
13:31He's got Mick. He got this.
13:37Two men who have battled all season.
13:40This, the last mogul run of the year, head-to-head action between this year's two best.
13:52And they're off.
13:53Mickael starts strong and hits the first jump with an extremely difficult and technical move.
13:58Huma, right of camera as they land the first jump.
14:02The legend, Mick Kingsbury on the yellow course there.
14:05And being pushed all the way by the Japanese number one.
14:09It's not too fast. It's not too fast. It's not too fast.
14:13The man who has pushed him all season is pushing him right to the line in the last race of the year.
14:18He crosses the line ahead of Kingsbury by .24 of a second.
14:23Although Hirishima passes the line first, the judges dock points for his form leading up to his second jump.
14:30This mistake costs him victory.
14:33And Mickael secures the win.
14:35The win puts him at 99 and shouldn't come as a surprise to any onlookers.
14:41As Mickael Kingsbury, more often than not, wins.
14:46Silver in 2014 and 2022.
14:50And most importantly, a gold in 2018.
14:54100 circuit wins at the site where he could win his final Olympic gold would be storybook.
15:0099th win. How does that feel?
15:03Gretzky. Gretzky number.
15:05I know it's going to happen, but I'm not putting pressure on myself.
15:09It's the first time my son gets to see me, you know, win.
15:12And my family is like my little team.
15:15And I want to say a big thank you to my girlfriend.
15:19So I'm very lucky to have her in my life.
15:22And she's an amazing mother for our little son.
15:29Athletes will often tell you the key to success is repetition.
15:33Consistency, doing the work again and again.
15:37For Will D'Engineau, it means daily training at Montreal's Maurice Richard Arena with his short track team.
15:46At just 24 years of age, the four-time world champion isn't shy to open up about what it takes to be the best.
15:53I'm dominating, but not in the conventional way.
15:59To me, domination is not just about results.
16:03To me, dominating is just putting my stamp on the sport.
16:07And I'm not the only one doing it. And we're doing it as a team also.
16:10So I think that's just great.
16:11CBC sports analyst and long track Olympian Anastasia Busis will be the judge of that.
16:18Every sport needs a star.
16:20And Will D'Engineau is a gift to short track speed skating.
16:24The hype is real.
16:25I guess I feel vulnerable saying Usain Bolt because you shouldn't compare anyone to Usain Bolt.
16:34Why are you so tall and how can you move your body that fast?
16:37Don D'Engineau at the front.
16:38This guy has got it. Like, he's got presents.
16:43And he puts his money where his mouth is.
16:47It is the golden age of Canadian short track speed skating.
16:50Will D'Engineau is a huge part of that.
16:57But a star's journey is never easy.
17:00Will didn't make the 2022 short track team and nearly quit the sport altogether.
17:05Right, right, yeah.
17:07It's like sometimes going through a breakup, right?
17:11You might love the person but the sport might not give you back what you're giving.
17:15And changing my perspective and understanding that the sport doesn't owe me anything.
17:21You just owe it to yourself to appreciate what you're doing every day.
17:25I have to be enjoying my life on a regular basis and that comes through great relationship with my teammates,
17:30with the staff and also appreciation of what I'm doing in the present moment.
17:36Instead of hanging up the skates, Will looked inwards, embarking on a journey of personal growth to properly set himself up.
17:47I look at myself skating and I still see a lot of things to improve on.
17:50Tactically, it's great to be having that much success and knowing that individually I can still grow.
17:58And I think as a team we can also get better.
18:02The Olympic year is going to be what we hope is going to be a great season for us and we're working towards that.
18:06And I think in Milano we can win everything.
18:11Yeah, that's how good I think we are and we can be.
18:15You know, everything.
18:18But has he matured enough to turn potential into victory?
18:24On the other side of the country, another Olympic hopeful is visiting home from Slovenia.
18:30Come on, Kat!
18:32To support her brother at a motocross race.
18:35That's just everyday life, if you're eluded.
18:37Here we go.
18:41He stayed upright.
18:42We'll call that a win.
18:44In the rain.
18:46Yay!
18:49When I was a little kid, my brother and I shared a dirt bike, but he was much more talented than I am.
18:55Like most things, my brother is far more gifted in athletics than I am.
18:59I just happen to be a better ski jumper, that's it.
19:02And that's putting it lightly.
19:03After Alex first saw ski jumping on TV during the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, it sparked a lifelong passion and career.
19:12At just 18 years old, she represented Canada during the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
19:18Since then, she's racked up an incredible list of accolades, including first Canadian to win a world title in ski jumping.
19:25When Alex visits home, she also teaches the next generation of ski jumpers how to be the best.
19:42Yeah, it's way better, Sophia.
19:45You can know she's track.
19:46That was perfect.
19:48Woo!
19:49That was good.
19:50I can tell you were getting tired at the end though.
19:51It looks good though.
19:53This is the next generation.
19:55There's hope for us after all.
19:56Thank God.
19:58You know, it's not going to die with me and Abby.
20:02Alex is a big part of her ski jump community in Calgary.
20:05It's a stark contrast with her formative years in the sport.
20:10How so?
20:11What do you mean?
20:12I don't know.
20:13It was just like there was such a division when I was their age and like, there was no one around when I was a kid.
20:19And so I think it's kind of like being what I wish I had.
20:23So, yeah, I think it's important to show up for people you care about and things you care about.
20:31Ski jumping's future in Canada depends on work like this.
20:36In 1988, Calgary built Canada Olympic Park for the Winter Games, complete with ski jumps.
20:42But by 2018, they were gone, dismantled under the weight of cost and safety concerns.
20:48Today, Canada's lone ski jump facility in Whistler operates only in the winter.
20:52Athletes like Alex must travel overseas to places like Slovenia just to train year round.
20:59It leaves a huge question mark for future Canadian ski jumpers like these.
21:07We spend a lot of time abroad in America and Europe usually to actually train on facilities.
21:14Other than that, we spend most of our time in the gym, which isn't the same, but I guess you got to do what you can.
21:19We have this nifty little contraption.
21:23It's two roller skis nailed to a piece of plywood.
21:27And I'm going to push them and their coach is going to catch them.
21:32So, yeah.
21:34Yeah, there you go. That was a good one.
21:36That was really good.
21:37We have a makeshift jump in Calgary, but it doesn't have the real profile of the ski jump.
21:45It doesn't have what you need to move to the next level.
21:49And that's why these kids spend so much time away from home.
21:51Alex was that kid not too long ago.
21:56At 15, she left Calgary behind for a life in Germany.
22:00A teenager crossing an ocean for a dream that could only be found on a ski jump.
22:05The path of an athlete is never easy.
22:08But to walk it alone in a new country far from the comfort of home?
22:11That's what forges champions.
22:16In Hartsville, PEI, Mark Arends is more than just an athlete.
22:20He is a pillar of the community.
22:23A para-Nordic athlete who competed in Vancouver, Sochi.
22:28Now Mark Arends coming down to the line.
22:31Pyeongchang.
22:32And a fantastic performance from him.
22:37Takes the goal for Canada.
22:39And most recently, Beijing.
22:41But he's got the lot, Arends, and away he goes.
22:44Ninth Paralympic Winter Games medal for Mark Arends.
22:49He's pretty happy about it.
22:52All of his success abroad, he brings home to this provincial park.
22:56So much so, they renamed it after him.
23:00This is where I started.
23:01This was the hub of the birth of my career.
23:04It's constantly been growing.
23:06It all used to be woods.
23:07Like, you couldn't see any houses.
23:08You couldn't see that fence.
23:09You couldn't see any of this.
23:11We even have a cafe now.
23:13When I was here, that was not a thing.
23:16This is brand new.
23:17We never had asphalt when I started.
23:19So we were always laying on the grass.
23:21It's constantly growing and improving.
23:24And part of my legacy is to actually give back to the park.
23:27I'm a farmer's son who grew up in the small area.
23:31It's just a name on the map, not really even a community.
23:35But I hope somebody can start down the trail that I've started and go further.
23:41And it's not just the park.
23:42Mark is very engaged with his local community, keeping in touch with people and memories from years ago during his time in Cadets.
23:52What would be your favorite story to share about Mark here?
23:54I think the day of the snowball fight, a couple of guys and they were doing some snowballs and so on and Mark just threw his arm at them.
24:02No, I forgot. I just gave up on the whole snow part and just threw the arm.
24:05Threw the arm.
24:06No, I forgot.
24:07No, I forgot.
24:17Visiting home brings up all kinds of memories.
24:21And for Mark, it means reflecting on a life-changing moment.
24:24This is where I grew up.
24:28The farm behind my shoulder here, that's where I spent my first 16 years.
24:35It's also where I lost my arm.
24:37I was seven years old.
24:41A truck was unloading some grain into a grain auger.
24:47There was some grain that wasn't quite going, it was coming out of the truck, but not really into the grain auger.
24:53I leaned over and did this kind of pushing motion and, but I lost my balance.
25:01And so in that, losing that balance, I, you know, as a reaction, shot my hands forward.
25:08My right hand was fine because it landed on the solid part of the grain auger, but my left arm landed on the moving blades.
25:15Back at home, Mark's parents remember the moment like it was yesterday.
25:21At first, he didn't do anything.
25:22That whole summer, he was just playing in the yard, trying to get his balance because balance was a big thing at first.
25:28And then he started to get back to, you know, being active and doing things.
25:33He was not competitive before, he was just participating.
25:39But then he started to be more competitive at what he was doing.
25:43I don't know that drive to win that just came slowly, but I think, yeah, his injury had a lot to do with it.
25:51Like, he had to prove to himself. And then, yeah, after that, it came like, well, you know, other people can see too that I'm strong and I can do things.
26:01I tell myself that now I've shown everyone else what the level will be that I can achieve myself with the success over the last few years.
26:10So now I have to blaze a new trail to find what's next.
26:15After 12 Paralympic medals, four Paralympics and multiple developments in his hometown, how much higher could the next level possibly be?
26:24CBC's The Game is back.
26:28Hey, Canada, Cabby Richards here, thrilled to be your host for this year's edition of The Game, the nightly trivia game for all Canadians 19 and over, packed with questions about the Olympics.
26:39Four all-inclusive tropical getaways are up for grabs, and all you have to do for a chance to win is play the game.
26:44The faster you answer, the more points you score. It's the simple yet difficult, exciting yet frustrating way to play your way through this upcoming Olympic season.
26:55Join Canadians in their quest to win one of four beach getaways. Skip out on the winter blues and catch some rays in Mexico.
27:02Three high scores along with one lucky random draw winner will be eligible to win a trip.
27:08Plus, nightly prizes are always on the line. When the Winter Olympics begin, so does the game.
27:12It all kicks off on February the 6th, so don't miss your chance. Register today at cbcolympics.ca slash the game.
27:20Presented by Bette Rivers.
27:29With 99 World Cup wins under his belt, Mikel takes a breath before the final event to reflect on what it means to be on the cusp of an extraordinary feat.
27:38My goal for this event is if I can try to get to 100, so hopefully I have a good weekend. And if I have a good weekend, I think it's going to help me be even more confident for the Olympic Games.
27:52After one final inspection of the hill, Mikel and his coach are planning out a potential route for his run.
27:57It looks more fun. Even those of us have a little more square than those of us. It looks pretty...
28:04Woohoo!
28:05First time I'm here, first time I'm skiing the Olympic course. It's important for me to gain some very good information. It's a brand new course. It's the one we're going to compete at the Olympics. So try to learn about the landscape here, how it's going to run at the Olympics. It's definitely going to be different, but at least it's not going to be brand new next year.
28:26And that's not the only thing unique about this specific competition.
28:31It's definitely different to experience fatherhood while still competing, but it's the best. It's always been kind of like a dream of mine, you know, to go to the Olympics and have my son at the bottom.
28:42Confidently said by the greatest to ever do it. One last race of the weekend for a chance at the 100th win.
29:03Meanwhile, at the Coca-Cola Coliseum, Spooner and the Scepters are preparing for puck drop in their critical final game of the season. Since returning to action at the halfway point of the season, Spooner has struggled to regain her previous MVP form, leaving the Scepters in a challenging position.
29:26She's still tied for the all-time leading goals and she's missed half a season. So you can understand what she means to this fan base.
29:36She did come back stronger when she came back after having a baby. So can she do that again? Or can she come back to the same form that she was in last year?
29:43I think it's unfair to expect that or at least right away. If she can start to score even at a fraction of the pace that she scored at last year, it will be huge for this group.
29:52Puck drop and away we go. Spooner, near a side, takes it in on the zone. Trying to feed it back for Monte. A great look.
29:59Yeah, good stick. Way to show you a stick then.
30:02The line and holds it for the blue line. Her high shot, two for the glove of Kristen Campbell.
30:07It's Ali Spooner. Fights for control down low. To center. Looks to cap rise. It's Sarah Nurse. Her shot here off the bar.
30:14Oh, great fortune, guys.
30:16Both teams play economical, defense-first games with goaltenders and defenders.
30:21Working in tandem to stifle offense.
30:25Turnover. Buck on the backhand for Ottawa. Campbell makes the save.
30:29Despite the frustration, spirits remain high.
30:33Who's still here? Come on.
30:35Oh! Oh, my God.
30:37Who did that? Who did that? Who's loosening the gate out?
30:41Finally, after almost 40 minutes, one team buckles first in the battle of attrition.
30:47There you go. Yeah, Pizzy's coming.
30:55Normal to the corner for Spooner. Natalie Spooner tries to wrap it around.
31:01Kept in the zone. It's fast. She'll jump down to Nurse at the backhand. Now, forehand! She scores!
31:05What a beauty by Sarah Nurse!
31:11There he goes!
31:13Woo!
31:15What a move, Nursey!
31:17We're very dangerous right now in all aspects, so keep going.
31:27Dangerous. So dangerous.
31:29The satisfaction is temporary, as Ottawa responds almost immediately, catching the scepter sleeping.
31:39To Savalainen. She scored big goals in her career.
31:43A chance for Jenner! She scores!
31:45A tie game!
31:53Good job, too.
31:57After two periods of frustrating hockey, we're back where we started,
32:01even at one apiece, heading into a very important final period.
32:09It's usually pretty busy, especially in the summertime.
32:13Patios are full.
32:15People are enjoying it. It's awesome.
32:20In Kimberley, B.C., Culla grew up among the mountains, snow, and sport.
32:26His dad worked with the Paralympic ski team,
32:28so stories of strength and determination were part of his daily life.
32:33Culla never imagined how close those lessons would one day hit home.
32:44It was in 2021.
32:46My dad was going up north in Sweden to work with the Swedish team at the time,
32:50and he was like, oh, you can come on this week-long camp and do coach stuff.
32:54Sure enough, I was there, hanging out.
32:57I didn't have any sunglasses or goggles or anything on.
33:03The sun was shining. It was hot.
33:05The sun reflecting onto the snow, unfortunately, burnt out a hole in my retina.
33:11The next morning, I woke up and was like, whoa, I'm having a really hard time seeing.
33:16I went to the doctor, and that's when I was originally diagnosed with solar retinopathy.
33:20That time, I found out that I was losing my vision,
33:26and kind of was like, okay, well, life's too short.
33:28I'm going to move back to Kimberley,
33:29have a good final high school year with my friends.
33:33And I got a phone call from one of my dad's connections,
33:35and he was like, we're looking at having the new team up in Alberta.
33:38We'd love to have you come out and join.
33:39So sure enough, I took the next step and started racing.
33:43Cully Erickson, straight away out of the gate.
33:45And so when I found out that I might have a shot at being all right at the sport, I went all in.
33:53Another victory here. Supreme second run charge for him.
33:58This is a lot of fun. This is great. This gives me a purpose.
34:02I'm happy to be coming back here, getting ready for the games,
34:04and I think I'm going to be in a really good spot.
34:16In Port Colborne, Ontario, the women's para hockey team gather for their first camp.
34:21Among them is co-captain, Raphael Toussignol.
34:24So I grew up in a hockey family.
34:28My cousin, my uncle, my dad played hockey.
34:32And do you want me to look at the lens or do you?
34:35The lens? Okay. Sorry.
34:37I didn't have a hold of brother, so my dad kind of just put me into a ring at me and my sister.
34:43He was our coach.
34:45Probably the artist coach I ever had in my entire career so far.
34:49I just fell in love with hockey for real.
34:51But like most young people, it wasn't para hockey she first fell in love with.
34:57That revelation was preceded by a difficult chapter.
35:03It all happened very quickly.
35:05I randomly fell on my hip, my ring at.
35:09Some sort of bruise kind of just popped out of my body.
35:13At first, like, you never thought, you never think it's cancer.
35:15A series of medical procedures revealed that Raphael had an osteosarcoma deep inside her hip.
35:27The only chance for survival was to have her entire leg amputated.
35:31At that time I was 10, so you're whole enough to be aware of what's going on, like, how you're facing death thoroughly, because that was that at that time.
35:43Like, if I didn't do anything, that would, I wouldn't be here today.
35:46I asked my dad, go on the ice for one last time.
35:52Before my invitation, my dad really needed every one of my old teammates playing ring at it for one last time.
36:00And it was so amazing.
36:01And, yeah, at that time I was just convinced that it was over.
36:05Like, no hockey, no ring head, no any sport.
36:08It was just, okay, well, this part of my life is behind me.
36:14When I found para hockey, it was just, oh, my God, I get to feel, like, the rain in my face again.
36:20I get to feel my hair in the wind and, like, that fresh feeling of just being so close to the ice.
36:26So it was amazing, and I get to discover that part with my dad, so it was even more special for us, because my dad found that sport for me, and he put me into it like he didn't ring it, and it was just super cool.
36:40Para hockey came naturally to Rafael.
36:43She made the women's national team at 14.
36:46The social aspects, however, proved more difficult.
36:49I couldn't speak English back then.
36:54Very traumatizing, um, particularly for me, because they put me in the OTEM room with three other English speakers, and I couldn't say anything else, and, like, a duck, hamburger, and, like, a cup over.
37:08So I remember just calling my parents, like, I can't do it, like, you gotta come get me.
37:12I was crying.
37:13They were like, no, you're, one day you're gonna be so happy that you did it, and you pushed through it, and now I speak English.
37:20I'm alright, like, I, my English is alright.
37:23He told me back then that I will be able, and I will have the ability to be a good player on the ice for the team, but have the ability to speak to the team in English enough to be a co-captain of that team.
37:35So, it's very cool.
37:37A groundbreaking moment for one of its players.
37:40Absolutely.
37:41Raphael Toussignan, 21 years of age from Terrebonne to come.
37:46The first female to play for the full men's Canadian national para hockey team.
37:53Trailblazers rarely rest on their laurels, and while the sports world regaled Raphael's accomplishments at the World Championship in 2023, she only set her sights higher.
38:08So I'm still really, really working hard, and I want to make that reality. I want to be for Hamilton. I will be the first Canadian to do it.
38:15How I feel about my chance right now, um, it's hard to say. Like, I don't know. It's the reason, like, yeah, I think the only thing I can say right now is I don't know.
38:28The two years that I, since I made the men's team, I did improve, like, I can, like, my left shot is as good as my right hand now, and, but at the end of the day, it's out of my control.
38:39Like, so I tried, and I don't want to say, like, I don't want, I don't want to be like, no, I'm not going to go, because I refuse to say that, so.
38:49Um, yeah.
38:53So I control everything in my power, and we'll see.
39:09The third and final period of the Toronto Scepter season is upon them.
39:37A victory here in the final 20 minutes will secure critical momentum heading into the playoffs, and a seeding advantage on the path to the Walter Cup.
39:46The margins are razor thin.
39:48Neither team can afford another error.
39:51Spirid has a little bit more of the feel of the first, like, it's tightened up defensively, a lot of perimeter play.
40:04Yeah!
40:05Oh!
40:06Oh!
40:07Oh, she had her.
40:08Good job, too!
40:09In front, Toronto looking for the rebound chances.
40:10Phillips will hold strong.
40:11Toronto just looking to pounce on that turnover below the net.
40:12Oh, nice call, Maggie.
40:13Sorry to get it.
40:14To stop by Laurent.
40:15Miller weighs her options.
40:16A shot here.
40:17Phillips, it's just chaos in her crease.
40:18Where the hell is it?
40:19Final seconds of this third period.
40:34And regulation wasn't enough.
40:36We will go to overtime.
40:39Next goal wins.
40:41In which Olympic sport did Canadian John Montgomery win gold at Vancouver 2010?
40:47Skeleton.
40:48CBC's The Game is packed with fun trivia just like this.
40:51Questions about Olympic records, events, and Canadian athletes.
40:54All to put your Olympic knowledge to the test.
40:56The faster you answer, the more points you score.
40:58There are prizes every night.
41:00Plus, you can win one of four all-inclusive vacations.
41:03It all starts February 6th.
41:05So head over to cbcolympics.ca slash the game to sign up and get your game on.
41:09The Game.
41:10Presented by Bett Rivers.
41:11After a dominant performance in dual moguls, Mikel now competes in the singles part of the event.
41:22With 99 World Cup wins under his belt, Mikel is eyeing a huge career milestone.
41:28Chasing greatness with a triple-digit win count.
41:32Nobody in moguls history has ever achieved this feat.
41:35But more than legacy, it would be a huge momentum boost to begin this Olympic year.
41:45And if there's anyone to do it, it would be him.
41:50Three, two, one, go!
42:05But the stars do not align on this day.
42:19Mikel finishes second to his longtime rival, Japanese skier, Ikuma Hirishima.
42:28One away from an hundred.
42:31I'm not thinking about it. I didn't think about it all day.
42:34I'm a little bit in the last Godzilla ride because I was like, ah, you're there.
42:39Like, uh, don't mess up that last one.
42:41But, uh, yeah, I'm not thinking about it.
42:45While hardly a disastrous outcome, Mikel will now go into this Olympic season with something left to prove.
42:51Back in Toronto, the Scepters set for overtime.
43:05Hope to avoid that same sting of defeat.
43:08Jussie Comper on the first step for Toronto.
43:11Monroe, kick at the shot on.
43:13Both teams have dug in with play oscillating feverishly between ends.
43:19And while spirits on the bench continue to remain high amidst the tension, a trend is emerging.
43:26Every opportunity for Natalie to see ice goes to a teammate.
43:32One after another.
43:34Until it's too late.
43:35Throws it out to open ice.
43:36High speed now.
43:37Conor here.
43:38Razava.
43:39For Ottawa.
43:40Takes it in.
43:41Has that aligned it on the first side.
43:42Razava.
43:43And she scores!
43:44Throws!
43:45Throws!
43:48Throws!
43:49Throws!
43:51Throws!
43:52adversity defeat and disappointment the great equalizers on this journey faced by every athlete
44:05for veterans returning to form you know we all saw what she did last season she can come back
44:13and she can get back to that form then she obviously will be a big part of that national
44:16team moving forward and going into the 26 games the potential of finality you know i've experienced
44:22a lot because i've been on that podium many times but you know next year my focus will be you know
44:28just to rest and be a bit more with my son back home and it might be your last run too yeah yeah so
44:34yeah i'm enjoying every moment right now or the pressure of providing pride that i want to
44:41portray to the community is one of those driving factors that will pay off down the road mikhail
44:48natalie and mark can find calm amidst the storm reflecting on previous journeys to the games
44:55this next generation does not share the luxury of experience he's going to have a lot of pressure
45:03on him scares me a little bit because anything can happen in short track it's nascar on ice the falls
45:08are big the speed is big you can be the greatest and there's still a chance that it's not going to
45:14work out for you the journey's never going to be like a straight shot it's going to be like a little
45:18ups and downs but hopefully on average it keeps getting better and better and let's see how it
45:23goes and seeing my dad at the world championship being so freaking proud of wearing his hockey
45:31canada jersey with my last like her last name in the back was like that's why i did it that's why
45:39because i wanted to make them proud
45:41rookie or veteran no one ascends the podium without the journey that comes before
46:10that final step the last along a path filled with difficult moments
46:15the individual journeys joined together through shared hardship and a unifying ambition
46:25it will be literally the world to me to become prevalent and to be part of this philip crown pig game
46:55you
46:57you
46:58you
47:00you
47:02you
47:04you
47:06you
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