Connie Klassen

“I began my connection to ringette when I was living in Winnipeg in 2000. A great friend, Jen Falloon (nee Gray), was seeking assistance with the medical support for Ringette Manitoba’s bid to host a National Team selection camp. Manitoba won the bid and by the end of the camp, my commitment to supporting high performance ringette began. As the Athletic Therapist for Ringette Canada’s high performance programs, I have watched many athletes come and go – grow up, marry, have kids of their own, return to coach. I have also had the opportunity to work with some great coaches, team leaders and Ringette Canada staff. I have watched the evolution of ringette as a truly high performance sport and I have the pleasure of working with elite athletes training hard, performing at their finest and being true ambassadors for ringette worldwide. The young women that I am fortunate to work with dedicate themselves to a sport they love, and are so committed to a sport that does not nearly get the notoriety it so deserves. Many folks describe ringette as a family – yep it sure is in so many ways! You should see some of the “family” gatherings! The biggest difference however, is that this is not a family we are born into, but choose. I treasure the opportunity to help our high-performance athletes achieve the highest standing in the world, in a sport they love and are passionate about, where their only reward is pride – national pride – unimaginable and awe inspiring!” – Connie Klassen, MSc, CAT(C) (Victoria, British Columbia)