Continuing with my winter Olympics craze is 23 year old hockey whiz Erika Lawler. The Fitchburg, MA native grew up playing hockey, and played for Cushing Academy in MA, the University of Wisconsin, and now plays for Team USA!
How did you get started playing hockey? Was there ever another sport that you were interested in?
I first started playing street hockey in a local league in Fitchburg right down the street from my house. Family friends of mine were doing a learn to skate/play hockey clinic and my brother, Trevor, and I decided we wanted to join as well. I absolutely loved it as soon as I stepped foot onto the ice. My parents signed me up for other sports like baseball and soccer but nothing interested me as much as hockey. In high school, I played field hockey and lacrosse. I loved lacrosse but hated field hockey.
What do you love about your sport?
It’s just so much fun. Being a part of a team and playing a sport with all my closest friends is probably my favorite thing about it. There’s nothing like being in the locker room with stories to share and good music to sing and dance along with, while surrounded by people who make me happy. I also love that hockey is my outlet to anything stressful in the world I live in. It can completely clear my mind… any sort of anxiety that I might be experiencing off the ice and in the real world is entirely forgotten as soon as I hit the ice.
How do you keep yourself motivated?
I usually turn to my teammates for support and encouragement. I remind myself that it is such a privilege to be able to play hockey, and an immense honor, especially at the national-team level. When I have that perspective, I am reassured that I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world and that all the hard work is well worth it. It’s difficult in the off season to train alone, but I have to remind myself that in order to be the best player I can be, it’s the little things, like waking up early and going to the gym for a couple hours, that matter most.
If there were ever times when you wanted to quit, what made you stick with it?
I wanted to quit hockey in 8th grade because I was more concerned with my social life than hockey. I just wanted to be a “normal” kid and do the things that “normal” kids got to do on weekends. My parents urged me to stick with it and all the sacrifices I have made to get where I am today have been entirely worth it. I have no regrets and am grateful that my parents encouraged me to keep playing.
How did it feel when you found out you had made the women’s Olympic team?
That’s an impossible question to answer… there are really no words to accurately describe how amazing this experience is and has been up to this point! It’s just such an honor and privilege for me and all of my teammates to be representing our country by simply playing a sport that we all love to play. I have goose bumps right now just thinking about how truly amazing this opportunity is for all of us. From here on out it will only get better as we are packing up to leave for Vancouver in a couple of weeks.
Did you ever think you would make it to this point?
It has always been something I have dreamed of doing, something I have been constantly striving for, but to actually be living this dream seems surreal to me!
What has your experience with the Qwest Tour been like?
The Qwest Tour has been so much fun. it is also a great learning tool for our team to grow and develop from. Any time we have the chance to promote the sport of hockey we take advantage of it because the growth of our sport is important to us. So whether it’s on Tour playing games or off-ice doing things like visiting schools and speaking to kids around the country, we make a conscious effort to positively impact those around us. I am also involved in the
Qwest All Access podcasting, which has given people around the world a chance to see what we do on a day-to-day basis - it’s been a great way for us to connect with friends, family and fans, while generating new awareness and interest in our sport.
What advice do you have for other young female athletes?
I think patience and hard work are two key ingredients to anyone’s success. Things are not always going to go your way. It is a constant battle where patience and diligence are essential if you want to persevere. Focus on the things that you have control over because it is easy to get caught up in the things that you can’t. Play to your strengths, build up your weaknesses… and always be true to yourself!
Oooh! This morning I got a set of Revlon’s new Scents of Summer Scented nail polish, and I’m definitely getting a kick out of it! The yummy polish comes in Cotton Candy, Bubble Gum, Grape Icy, Orange Pop, Peach Smoothie, Ocean Breeze, and Beach. I was pretty intrigued by Beach though, and couldn’t figure out why that would be the acid green color… would it smell like Jersey Shore beach? Bod Man Spray? Mountain Dew? That was the shade I tried on first. Alas, it smells like coconutty sunscreen! Look for the line this May and drugstores!
