Thursday, November 29, 2012

Fiesta on ice in Mexico



Like many a female athlete, Fernanda Chavez gravitated to a sport because her dad played and her brothers were playing and she wanted in on the action, too.

What makes her story unusual is that Fernanda Chavez is a hockey player from Mexico City. That's ice hockey - not field hockey, not street hockey, not ball hockey.

Ice hockey in Mexico City? Now that is growing the game.

Chavez, 17, began playing when she was 10. She's now a member of the Mexican women's national team, which is participating in the third annual Hayley Wickenheiser International Women's Hockey Festival at Burnaby 8-Rinks. The Mexicans are among 62 teams taking part in the Thursday-to-Sunday event.

Chavez responded like a seasoned veteran Saturday when asked about her start in the sport.

"Good question," she replied in near perfect English. "Well, my dad when he was little, he played in Mexico. Then he taught my brothers and I how to play. My little brother is a goalie for the under-14s and my older brother doesn't play any more because he is going to university."

She was a little at a loss for words, however, when asked to describe what specifically she liked about the game.

"Everything," she said. "It's a sensation ... the action ... I can't explain. I love checks. I play with boys and I like to be hit and I can hit them. Fighting? No. Just checks."

Continue reading about Fernanda Chavez and her unusual story about playing Ice Hockey in Mexico at Vancouversun.com!

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