Lori Dupuis

A hero. Someone you look up to, someone who motivates you. Maybe even someone you admire. For me, a hero is someone who has an near impossible goal, and will do anything to achieve it, while helping others along the way. Some people look up to an athlete for their performance on the ice, I look up to my hero as a role model. My hero is Lori Dupuis. Since the age of 10, Dupuis had a dream, an inspiration to play hockey.

Dupuis was born November 14 1972, which means she is now 41 years old. She was born in Cornwall, Ontario, raised by 2 loving parents, D'Arcy and Hazel Dupuis. Dupuis has played hockey all her life. Of course she played other sports as well, but hockey was her number one priority. She first started playing on a family pond, at a very young age, then started her career in Cornwall where she has won many awards and team championships. She has chosen to attend the University of Toronto in 1991, after being scouted for several other schools around the area. She was chosen to be captain for the blues for three years, winning 4 championships. In 1995, joined team Canada at the Pacific Rim Championships in San Jose, California. Athletic like she is, Lori has won her first gold medal for the country in 1995, then played in Kitchener for the world championships, scoring 2 goals and getting 4 assist in five games, which led her team to winning against the U.S.A, winning her first world championship title in 1997. One year later, she played in the first ever Olympic Winter Games for Women's Hockey in Nagano, Japan, bringing home the silver. Dupuis decided to continue her career, as she wanted a higher title, which was to get a gold medal at the 2000 Olympics. Her and her team went on to win a gold in the 1999 and 2000 World Championships, then won a gold medal in the Salt Lake City Olympics, Febuary 2002. Unfortunately, Dupuis decided to retire from the international game at the age of 32. Today, she is playing in the NWHL (National Women's Hockey League) with the Brampton Thunder, where they won their first Provincial, National and League Championship in 2006.

Lori Dupuis performance on the ice is outstanding, but Dupuis is more than just a great hockey player. She has a heart of gold, and to prove that, she is the owner of a hockey school with her teammate called "Lori Dupuis & Jayna Hefford Female Hockey School", which helps young children to know the rules of hockey and teach them how to play. She is also a very strong, as she plays very many sports, and became very successful in life. Most of all, she is caring. She has given her time to meet children with the same dream as she had, and meeting new people and helping them out. On the ice, Dupuis is a giver. She gives it her all and she never gives up. "It gets pretty rough out there during a game," says Brampton Thunder's assistant captain and left winger Lori Dupuis. "I've broken my thumb and my ankle. It's all pretty aggressive, especially when Canada meets the U.S. But I enjoy that, that is my style of hockey." Outside of hockey, Lori style is more of a dressy-casual, to match her personality.

Pommier Jewellers were so proud of Lori Dupuis, they designed and made a one-of-a-kind gold Olympic ring, made just for her. Lori Dupuis has received multiple awards, and has been seen in many Hall of Fames.
"An outstanding athlete with incredible power and speed, Lori led by example. Her hard work and determination earned her an extraordinary five OWIAA all-star award. Her former OWIAA career records for overall points (136) and assists (78) survived until 2005. With Lori at the helm, the Blues won four OWIAA gold medals. Topping off an incredible list of intercollegiate accomplishments, Lori was twice nominated for University of Toronto's Female Athlete of the Year (1996 and 1997)." (http://www.varsityblues.ca/hof.aspx?hof=173&kiosk=&path=)

I am sure I am not the only person who looks up to Lori Dupuis as a hero, knowing she has very many fans, and has helped a lot of people around the country. Also, her accomplishments and dedication to hockey is a good influence to people who dream of being a hockey star, like me. Lori Dupuis a hero to me because just like her, since a young age, I had a dream to become a hockey star and have a career, and I have been following her footsteps to become just like her. Like Lori has said, "it takes time, but it will be worth it in the end." So just like my hero, I will never give up.