Catriona Le May Doan, the “fastest woman on ice,” has been named Canada’s chef de mission for the upcoming Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games.
Le May Doan was named to the position Tuesday by the Canadian Olympic Committee. Her duties include being a spokesperson for Team Canada and mentor/motivator for athletes on and off their field of play.
“This is more than a title to me,” Le May Doan wrote on the COC website . “Now it feels like my Olympic journey is coming full circle.”
Le May Doan’s first Olympic appearance was in 1992.
She holds two gold medals in 500m speed skating from the 1998 and 2002 Winter Games. She also won Olympic bronze in the 1000m event in 1998 and has five world championships in 500m and sprint speed skating events dating between 1998 and 2002.
After retiring in 2003, the Saskatoon, Sask., native was named a Officer of the Order of Canada and inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. She has also been a television commentator for other Olympic games and was a torch-bearer during the opening ceremony of the 2010 Vancouver games.
“My career has been filled with some incredible moments – some from the Olympic Games as an athlete, some as a Mission Team member, and some involving my experience as one of the first torchbearers during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay,” Le May Doan said in a statement.
“Many moments also happened outside the Games period, during my time at training camps and while making memories with my teammates who became some of my closest friends.”
In a post on the COC website, the mother of two said she hopes to help athletes be their best and not necessarily be the best, comparing being chef de mission with being an athlete.
“None of it comes with a paycheque,” Le May Doan wrote. “It takes a lot of time away from loved ones. It takes sacrifice and commitment.”
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