From 1988 through 1990 forward Vicky Sunohara skated on Northeastern University’s ice hockey squad and helped them capture the collegiate championship in 1989. In 1990 she not only joined the University of Toronto’s Varsity Blues, but also suited up with the Canadian women’s national team and won her first World Championship gold medal at that year’s inaugural women’s ice hockey tournament. After capturing gold three more times (1992, 1994, 1997) she attended the first official Olympic women’s ice hockey tournament at the 1998 Winter Olympics, where she suited up for six matches, scored one goal, and took home a silver medal. She continued her international gold streak by helping to capture four more World Championships (1999, 2000, 2001, 2004) as well as the tournament at the 2002 Winter Olympics, where she skated in five games and scored four goals. After coming in as runner-up at the 2005 World Championships she captured a final gold at the 2006 Winter Olympics, with one goal in five matches, and then retired from Team Canada, having been the squad’s alternate captain since 2001. During her time with the national team she also captained the Brampton Thunder of the Canadian Women’s Hockey League. She now runs the Vicky Sunohara Hockey School in Whitby, Ontario and, in 2009, she was the city of Toronto’s final Olympic torchbearer as it made its way to the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. She was made a member of the Brampton Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Scarborough Walk of Fame in 2006.
Canada