Competing in Olympics a dream come true for Halifax’s Jill Saulnier
Posted Mar 1, 2018 05:21:00 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Listen to Garreth MacDonald and Cameron MacEachern's conversation with Jillian Saulnier:
Jillian Saulnier says she hasn't had a lot of sleep since returning from Pyeongchang.
Saulnier, along with Stellarton's Blayre Turnbull, became the first Nova Scotians to be named to the Canadian Olympic women's hockey team.
They were also the only Nova Scotians at the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Saulnier returned early Tuesday morning and dropped the puck at Wednesday night's Halifax Mooseheads game.
She told NEWS 95.7 Mooseheads broadcasters Garreth MacDonald and Cameron MacEachern making the Team Canada was a dream come true.
“From that moment of stepping on the ice for the very first time, you remember all the work, the efforts and the tough times you've overcome,” she said. “For me, that was a moment I'll remember my whole life.”
Saulnier also made hockey history at the games by becoming the first female Nova Scotian to score a goal in the Olympics.
“When I had that break there and was able to capitalize, it was a pretty special moment. I kind of put my hands up in the air and shook my head because I couldn't believe all these wonderful things were happening,” she explained. “My mom was in the crowd, so I turned, my hands went up and she was right there.”
She calls the overtime loss to the rival United States in the gold medal game heartbreaking at the moment, but says overall, the whole experience was special.
“They're incredibly skilled, they're well coached and they're very unified. They're a team we've played for years and years,” she said. “They always bring it to the table, but so does Canada. You can pretty much guarantee a really good game every time Canada and the U.S. hits the ice.”
Saulnier hopes her performance at the games helps to inspire girls playing hockey to dream big.
“It's a hard road, it really is, we definitely glorify it when we get there and you see the smiles on our faces with that jersey on,” she said. “It's a tough road, but a very doable road. Stick with it because dreams can come true.”
