Ringette team puts in extra work for teammate with leukemia
Meet the three extraordinary Emmas.
Their sport is ringette. Their quality skill is leadership. Their reward is an Ontario ringette AA championship.
Emma Kelly, standing at five feet two inches, may have to look up to all of her teammates, but, when she steps onto the ice, she’s a larger than life, right-hand shooting centre.
Kelly recorded 16 goals and 14 assists — double any other player’s point production — to lead the Nepean Ravens to a second consecutive Ontario AA U16 title and a return trip to the Canadian ringette championships set for April 8-14 in Winnipeg. That was no fluke, either. During the 2017 Ontario championships, Kelly shared top offensive honours with 26 points and an unmatched 19 goals.
Emma Thom has always been an offensive threat with the ring on her stick, and the Ontario AA 18+ university division championship was no different. The Carleton University forward tied for most championship points with nine goals and five assists in seven games, including one goal and one assist in a 3-2 overtime victory against the University of Ottawa in the gold-medal game.
Emma Flynn-Mantyla knew the game first as a forward, but now as a defensive player. She has scored her share of goals, too, but all she could do was watch as her Gloucester-Cumberland Devils stormed to the Ontario AA U14 title and a berth in the Eastern Canadian championships April 18-22 in Halifax and Dartmouth, N.S.
There were no games, no shifts and no goals for Flynn-Mantyla. She watched and cheered from the stands, when she could, because she has been battling Pre B cell ALL (leukemia) or acute lymphocytic leukemia for almost two months. Although she has lost about 12 pounds and has started to notice hair loss, Pre B cell ALL is one of the most treatable forms of leukemia.
As the Devils played through the provincial championships on home ice, finishing third in the 11team round robin at 5-1-0 before defeating Guelph 10-3 in a semifinal and Waterloo 4-1 in the final, Flynn-Mantyla was regarded as an inspiration, a motivator and a team leader.
Wearing her team jersey and helmet, Flynn-Mantyla was taken onto the ice by wheelchair to participate in the trophy celebration.
“I wanted to be there and play, but couldn’t,” she said with a lot of feeling. “It hurt.”
As she fights her blood cancer, teammates have become a big part of her support group, their goal being to lift her spirits with energetic performances on the ice.
Flynn-Mantyla, who turns 14 on April 21, was diagnosed with leukemia on Feb. 17, the same day as her last game. For the two months previous, she had complained about bone pain and shortness of breath. After a full range of tests and diagnosis, she started cancer treatments.
Chemotherapy is her new offensive weapon, and she has already celebrated a small win. After her first round of chemo, the minimal residual disease test showed zero per cent cancer cells in her bone marrow analysis.
Still, she has a long road ahead. Her medical team at CHEO has drawn up a two-year plan of oral, IV and injection medications.
Since she has multiple medical appointments each week, she is being home tutored to complete Grade 8. She hopes to return to St. Matthew High School in September for Grade 9.
She enjoyed another high point in late March, when doctors allowed her to attend the Eastern Canadian championships as a spectator and team motivator. If she stays healthy during the trip to Nova Scotia, she hopes to attend all the Devils’ games while limiting socializing to reduce the risk of illness.
Devils head coach Dave Mainwood, who has been coaching ringette for more than 40 years, was impressed by how his young players handled the news about Flynn-Mantyla’s leukemia.
“When they were first told, it was devastating. It put a perspective on it for us all. We are all fragile. It can happen to anyone of us,” he said.
“It was a rally point (for the team). We didn’t use it that way. But the girls talked about it and got it in the open. We didn’t use it as a focal point, but it went that way.”
As Flynn-Mantyla deals with medical appointments and recovery while also watching her younger sister Tia with the U14 Devils team, she appreciates that her teammates consider her a source of power.
“Every game they do it for me,” she said softly. “They put on orange laces and orange stickers on their helmets and wear orange sweaters.”
Orange is the colour for promoting leukemia awareness, showing strength and support for survivors.
“Sometimes, some days are harder than other days,” she added. “I feel bad for anyone who goes through it. Some days I have to rest more than other days.”
Emma and her family have received tremendous support from family, friends, neighbours, teachers and the Canadian ringette community, complete with words of encouragement, meals and donations.
Family friend Tania Lackey-Lecompte started a GoFundMe campaign for Flynn-Mantyla’s family to ease the financial burden. The goal was $10,000, but as of April 1 donations had surpassed $13,000.
“They’re rallying for her,” said Peggy Flynn, Emma’s mother. “They’re fighting for her. They’re doing that extra effort.”
CAPITAL SPORTS HUB
This time, Bryan Cochrane wants his Russell Curling Club rink on the top step of the medal podium at the world men’s seniors curling championship. Cochrane, third Ian MacAulay, second Morgan Currie and lead Ken Sullivan qualified to represent Canada at the 2019 worlds by winning the Canadian final 5-2 against Terry Oldishaw’s New Brunswick foursome. Cochrane was 10-2 in preliminary-round play before defeating Ted Butler’s Buckingham rink 5-4 in a semifinal. Cochrane’s rink, with Doug Johnston at second, lost 5-4 in an extra end to Sweden in the 2017 world championship final.
Roger Smith of La-Pêche, the driving force behind construction of a four-sheet curling venue in Chelsea, was named Curling Canada’s volunteer of the year for 2017 at the Brier national men’s championship in Regina. Smith started talking to fellow curlers in the region about a club in 2011 before drafting the application and business plan. He raised more than $400,000, secured extra banking loans and lined up a $1.7-million grant from the Quebec government. The venue is expected to open in September and accommodate 600 members.
Ottawa Tourism was a double winner at the 12th annual Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance’s PRESTIGE Awards in Halifax. A driving force behind Canada’s 150th birthday celebrations, the major events office of Ottawa Tourism bid for and/or supported 24 significant events that generated close to $190 million in local economic impact. As a result, Ottawa Tourism was named the CSTA sport tourism organization of the year, and Darrell Cox, the group’s major events manager, won the CSTA Sport Tourism Champion Award.
Put a racket in the hand of Hamilton Quain and good things would happen. Quain was an accomplished athlete on Ottawa’s tennis and squash courts from 1949 to 1961. He won two Canadian junior boys’ doubles titles and 10 National Capital Tennis Association championships, including four men’s singles. In his career, he defeated national icons Bob Bédard and Lorne Main. On the squash court, he captured two national junior titles and won two intercollegiate crowns. Quain died March 14 at age 87.