It’s never an easy thing to give up on what you love.
Athletes nearing their retirement always say “play as long as you can because you’ll never get it back.”
Long time Canadian women’s national teamer Mandy Marchak has been forced to retire because of injury.
She was a key player for the women’s sevens team and also for the Women’s Rugby World Cup squad which finished 2nd in 2014. She was first capped by the XVs team in 2005 at the age of 20.
On Thursday, she released a statement via Rugby Canada:
I have been doing this sport for 11 years now and have met some incredible people along the way.
I have been coached and mentored by so many outstanding people.
I have learned to play this sport so many different ways than you could imagine.
I have been given programs and resources out of the kindness of their hearts, because they believed in me and wanted me to have the best chance I could to succeed.
I have been funded and given money without hesitation to help me pursue my goals and follow my heart.
To the girls I wake up and play beside – some of my best friends and family – who push me and constantly make me think and laugh and live.
My friends, I have missed so many important dates and times and you still stood by me and loved me for who I am and believed in me so passionately.
My family, my rock, who will always love me unconditionally and no matter where I go or what I do they will always be proud of me.
To all of you who have contributed to this unforgettable and amazing career, I thank you in ways words cannot express.
Truly, I am forever grateful.
“Mandy has been a fixture for Canada for a decade,” said Canada’s women’s sevens head coach John Tait. “She was instrumental in building the success of this program from the onset of it in 2011. She was my first captain and led the team from the front and helped us go undefeated for over an entire year of tournaments. That early success was crucial for us to gain further funding and support from our Olympic committee. She embraced the daily challenge of becoming a better athlete with a more rounded skill set and that attitude has been a big part of her longevity and success.”
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