Meghan Agosta had a pretty fantastic 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Not only did she score a hat trick in the match against Sweden, she helped Canada win its third consecutive gold medal and was named tournament MVP.

Though tough as nails on the ice, the star forward from Ruthven, ON, says she is a pretty "happy go lucky" person off the ice. "I like to relieve some of the pressures players experience before games by telling jokes and being goofy, making my teammates laugh."

She also loves to bake, often making treats for her team. "I started baking with my mom about the same time I started playing hockey," she says. Coming from a big Italian family with four kids, she's grateful not only for the recipes her mom passed down but for the support her mom gave her to play, one of the reasons she is a part of P&G's "Thank You Mom" campaign.

"My older sister took figure skating, so at age four my parents put me into it, too," she says. "I also had an older brother who played hockey. Everything he did, I wanted to do. He would go out on the street and play hockey with the neighbourhood kids and I would follow him. At five, I asked my dad if I could play hockey and he looked at me and said, ‘Meghan, girls figure skate, boys play hockey.'"

So Meghan continued figure skating until the next year when, with the help of her brother, she convinced her mom to convince her dad that hockey is what she really wanted to do. "I have loved the game ever since." And not just for the game itself. "Hockey and sports in general teach you many life lessons, such as respect for your fellow team members and opponents, team play, time management and responsibility, too," she says.

As she and her team prepare for Sochi in the hopes of winning gold again, Meghan continues to draw on the support of her husband, family and community. "They have honoured me by naming a street after me, bringing their children to my hockey school, supporting the Meghan Agosta Foundation (which provides funding for kids who would otherwise be unable to afford hockey), and having a community post-Olympic parade."

Meghan says she is proud to represent Canada at the Games once again. "My motivation comes from the desire to be the best I can possibly be, and the desire to wear the Canadian jersey and represent my country at every opportunity."

Learn more about our Team Canada athletes.
                                    

This story was originally titled "The Team Player" in the February 2014 issue.             Subscribe to Canadian Living today and never miss an issue!