EP27 Brigette Lacquette - Ice Hockey Olympian

This is the Empowered athlete podcast, episode 27.

We're here today with Bridget Laquette.

She's the first first nations athlete selected to play on the Canadian Women's National Hockey Team and she became an Olympian. She has tons of grit and has persevered through bullying, racism, getting cut, and she's even quit alcohol to make her dreams come true. We're thrilled to speak with her today. We are on to a new 30 day challenge and we're so excited about it. This month is Mindful March, so we are stepping into our self awareness and the awareness of others. And here's how you can choose your own adventure if you want to participate. Yes is the answer. In Mindful March, we will meditate daily, do yoga weekly and gratitude journaling daily. And it would be listing three things you're grateful for. We will also do an act of kindness towards ourselves or towards others on a daily basis in this challenge. And of these four options, if you want in, you can do some or all of them. You can't just do the weekly yoga, you got to do some of the other ones too. Daily stuff. That's why it's a 30 day challenge. So Paul and I will be doing all of them and I'll be posting helpful tips in our email that we send out. So if you want to be part of the 12:30 challenge, all you have to do is sign up. There's a link in the show notes and when you do that, you're going to get little helpful tips from us like the apps we use, like our struggles and our successes along the way. And you'll also learn about the new challenges that are coming up. So we can't wait to have you join us in this 30 day challenge.

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Hello, everyone. The Empowered Athlete podcast is back, and we have another Olympian joining us today, the women's national hockey team. She's played with that squad for over 10 years. 10 years already, and she's only 26 years old. Bridget Laquette, so happy to have you on the show with us today, and thank you for joining us.

Hey, thank you, guys. I'm pretty excited about this.

Right on.

Yeah, we're.

Go ahead.

I was going to say, yeah, we're glad to have you. And we're chatting a little bit before. And just so everyone knows, listening at home, we're all very comfortable because we're in closets across the country right now. Presents in her closet in Calgary, and Kari's in our bedroom closet here in London, Ontario. And I have the bed, actually.

We're trying to get all the best sound quality.

It's perfect.

Absolutely.

So, Bridget, we're really glad to have you. And aside from all of us in our coziest places in our houses. What, what, you're. You're a really decorated hockey player. You've been at this for a really long time. You've won all kinds of medals, from world championships to the holy grail of women's hockey, which is that medal at the Olympics. It's not, it wasn't the gold at that particular Olympics, but it was a beautiful thing still. But what, what got you into hockey in the first place? Take us back when you started and tell us a little bit about how you got into things and how it progressed. Because for so many young players, they, they play, but they, you know, to go through what you went through is a whole. A whole nother matter.

Yeah. Well, I guess just to start off, I grew up in Mallard, Manitoba. I'm identified from both my home community of Mallard and my reserve, which is in Saskatchewan, which is Cody First Nation.

Before you go on, though, give people an idea of, like, I know how far north that is.

Yeah.

Having lived some of places I live. But I mean, give listeners who are. Maybe they're listening from the States, maybe they're listening in other parts of Canada. Give listeners a sense of where that really is and what it's really like.

Yeah, Yeah. I was just getting there. I actually, I grew up in Mallory, Manitoba, which is four hours north of Winnipeg. So basically, it's kind of in the middle of Manitoba. You know, Mallard is a community of, I think it was, like, 100 people when I grew up there, and now it's maybe around 50 or 60. So, you know, there's not a lot going on there. And pretty much, like, I guess, you know, growing. Growing up in such a small community, you know, there was, you know, challenges that you had to face and overcome. And, you know, for starters, I grew up with eczema, so, you know, that's kind of one of the first things I had to overcome is, you know, getting bullied for it. You know, getting made fun of, not having a lot of friends in school just because of, you know, I had a skin condition I couldn't control. So, you know, I was different. And, you know, I struggled. I struggled with it for years. And this is kind of where, you know, I started to find my love for sport. And this is kind of where hockey came in, because, you know, once I just, you know, once I always. I loved sports growing up. I played every sport possible. But, you know, there was just something about hockey that I loved. And, you know, through that, you know, through getting bullied and, you know, obviously that helped me develop a thick skin and whatnot. But, you know, there's just something about hockey where I could just go out there and I can spend hours on the outdoor rink. I was terrible when I first started, but, you know, I could spend hours out there, you know, stick handling and shooting, and just get lost out on the ice. So that was kind of my escape through that.

And did that. Did that feel like a sense of freedom away from all the other things that you would deal with?

100%. And that's exactly. You know, that's what hockey was. For me, it was kind of an escape because, you know, being out there on the ice gave me so much confidence. Yeah, growing up, I lacked confidence. And, you know, there's a point where I couldn't even, like, talk to people because I just had no confidence whatsoever. And I was so shy. And, you know, I was just so shy of, you know, my eczema and, you know, ashamed of it. And, you know, there's just. There was a point where, you know, even my sister would, like. My sister's a year older than me, so I have a sister named Tara, and we play on every hockey team growing up. And then I have a younger brother named Taryn, and Tara was with me throughout, you know, basically every. Every hockey team that I played on. And in school and she's pretty much my only friend. And she, she was like, when people would talk to me, like she would answer for me, like that's how shy I was.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And, you know, that was just kind of where, you know, hockey came in. And hockey kind of gave me that confidence where, you know, I'd be on the, on the ice and I'd be like a totally different person. You know, I would, I would talk and I would, you know, joke around with people and it was just like, it was just, you know, free. It was, it was freeing.

Almost like the real you could come out that just didn't. Couldn't in the other scenarios.

Yeah.

How I, how was hockey organized in such a small community? Because with that small of a town, how did you, did you go to surrounding communities? Where did you go to play?

Yeah, so there actually wasn't, you know, there's not a lot in Mallard. There's a community office in a hall and other than that, just houses. So even when we went to school, we'd have to bus to the nearest community, which is Waterhen. And how you'd get to Mallard is basically one gravel road in and then one gravel road out. Same thing. And you know, it's just this place is in the middle of nowhere. You know, it's, you know, five or four hours north of Winnipeg. There's no cell service there. I mean, we got Wi Fi about 10 years ago. So, you know, it's just like that was, that's it. Right. So not a lot happening there. So we actually, when I started playing hockey, we. My dad registered me in the nearest Hot Miner Hockey association, which was Winnipeg OSIS. So that was about, I'd say about a 50 minute drive. 5, 0 from Mallard to Winnipegos is one way. And you know, he did that multiple times a week. And that's kind of. And we did that since I was 5 years old.

It's one of those things that we hear over and over again that the parents are such a key part in any of these successes like this. You, you look back and you just know that this couldn't have happened without somebody, a parent who is supporting you that consistently and, and you know, that passionately.

Yeah, it's pretty, it's pretty wild even. You know, to this day I still don't know how they made it work.

Wow.

Yeah, it was, you know, I started playing hockey. I actually had to beg my dad to put me into hockey. You know, my chum, which is my grandpa, so my chum would Always ask me, he'd be like, are you sure you want to play? Like, no, it's rough out there every time. And I'm like, yeah, I love it. He's like, why do you like hockey? I was like, I just love. I love being out there. And, you know, I actually had to beg my dad to put me into hockey, and he finally bought me my first pair of skates, and I kind of just, you know, went from there. But, yeah, I played boys hockey right until I was 16, and then I started playing boys and girls hockey from, I guess when I turned 11 years old. From 11 to 16, I played both boys and girls hockey.

Wow.

And when in that. When in that period, did it maybe dawn on you or dawn on one of your coaches that you were a bit of a special talent and that there was something there that might need to be groomed? And.

Yeah, honestly, I think it might have been when I was a bantam. When I was in a bantam age player. So I think that's like 13, 14 maybe. You know, growing up in such a small community, I guess just to rewind back through my years of hockey, you know, I've. I've kind of, you know, I grew up in. With. There was a lot of indigenous communities surrounding me. So, you know, one of the very first times is kind of another obstacle that I had to overcome was, you know, which is racism. I face that. And, you know, one of the very first times I went to Winnipeg, I got into, like, the shoving match with this girl in the corner, and she had. She had called me a dirty Indian. You know, we're coming. We're shoving out of the corner. And she said, get off me, dirty Indian. And that's kind of.

What. What age were you for this? When that happened?

When was it? I can't, honestly. It was my first year summer hockey. I just can't remember when my first year was. I. I just know. Yeah, it was like the. One of my very first tournaments in Winnipeg.

Wow.

So I'll have to.

So maybe like around 12? Maybe around.

Yeah, could have. Yeah, 11 or 12. And so I got shopping matches. She called me a dirty Indian whatnot skating up the ice. And that kind of shocked me. So she. She said that I didn't know how to react, you know, for first, you know, I'm a crier. So I cried and I was just like. I didn't know what to do. It made me angry. I had every emotion possible. And I came to the bench and luckily my dad was one of the coaches. And, you know, he asked me what was wrong. He tried to get it out of me, and then finally I told him because I didn't even want to repeat it. And, you know, he told me something that, you know, stuck with me, you know, to this day. And, you know, he told me to beat them on the ice and, you know, beat them on the ice meaning, you know, just be so focused on yourself and, you know, getting better and, you know, being your best self. So that when they say things like that to you, it doesn't matter because, you know, you'll be winning in the long run. So from that point on, that's kind of when, you know, I decided that this is, you know, I love hockey. I'm not going to let anything stop me from, you know, you know, name calling and whatnot. I'm not gonna let that stop me from reaching my goals. And that's kind of when I started to, I guess that's kind of when I started to take it, like, I guess, seriously. And, you know, I got better and I improved my skills. And it was probably not around until Bantam age is where my dad got approached by. It was Wally Kozak, and he was just, he was like, just watching the, the Bantam Challenge in Manitoba there. And he gave him, My dad, my dad, he gave my dad his card and he said some things to him. Honestly, I, I, I honestly don't remember, but I just remember my dad telling me, he's like, yeah, like, this guy gave me, gave me his card and it was Wally's, Wally's card. So I thought that was pretty cool. Something I'll definitely not forget.

And at that point, did you, Were you aware that there were other options for you as a female hockey player? Like, was that even on your radar at that point or was it all kind of a.

Kind of, but not really, I guess, at this point. I know we had a couple of girls in our surrounding areas that had went Division one and, you know, they played on Team Mantle, but so I thought that was, you know, pretty cool. There was one girl that grew up in Winnipeg in the Minor Hockey association that I was with. Her dad was actually a Zamboni driver. And I went down and played. She went down and played in the States. She played at St. Cloud. And I thought that was pretty cool. And then that's kind of when I opened my eyes a little bit and.

Maybe the little taste of, oh, maybe there could be something more. And that inkling of a vision of a dream that could come.

Yeah, exactly. And, you know, I came from, you know, my family didn't have a lot of money, so, you know, to have that, that as an option, I guess it was kind of like. But my sister, like our goal was to, you know, play in the States, you know, get a scholarship in the States. That was kind of something that we always talked about.

And you had your older sister and you had a younger brother.

Yes.

And your sister was playing hockey too. What about your brother?

Yeah, he played, he played hockey as well. He started when he was, he was four. He actually. So he went up and played Midget AAA in Manitoba and then he played junior A for four years.

How did your parents even handle all that? Like, they.

Yeah, that's intense.

To be honest with you. I have no idea how they made it work. But, you know, I come from, like, I had come from a really big family.

So.

Did you have some aunts and uncles and some grandparents helping drive and stuff? Because otherwise just we have kids and they're all in sports and we just know what it takes.

It can be all consuming, especially in your after work hours. It can take them all up.

Yeah, it was, honestly, it was crazy. So I had a lot of uncles that, you know, would offer to drive us. To come from such a small community and have that much support for my family, you know, it was pretty amazing. And you know, growing up, you know, again, we didn't have a lot of money. My dad was a bus driver. And then my mom decided to go. My parents had us young, so my parents got married in 1920 and then they had us like 20, 21. And so then we didn't have, you know, they, they didn't finish, you know, they didn't get their college degree then. But then my mom, when we. I started going playing hockey, my mom went back to school to get an education degree to be a teacher. So she was traveling constantly, traveling back and forth from Mallard to Dauphin, which is an hour and ten minutes one way. So she did that every day for five years and got her degree. And then what did that, what did that teach you?

What did you learn from just watching that?

You know, she's, she was, she's amazing. She's an amazing person and she worked so hard just to, you know, I guess just give us a better life too. And, you know, that would, you know, that gave us, I guess, more of an opportunity really to play on these traveling teams and whatnot. And even to this day, I still honestly don't know how they made it work, but they did. And honestly, truly grateful for that, do.

You think that that might have been one of your first examples of really not giving up and settling and just continuing to persevere 100%?

And, you know, the things I've learned from my parents is, you know, I'm honestly, I'm truly grateful for that and all their hard work. And, you know, I honestly, to this day, it still blows my mind, you know, to how, you know, my sister ended up going to play college hockey. I played college hockey, my brother played Junior A. And, you know, how they all made that work. It's. It's honestly amazing to come from such a small community as Mallard, Manitoba.

So I was going to say, did you feel, obviously, now, at the age of 26, you're acutely aware of the dedication and sacrifices they made to support you and your siblings and, you know, your quest and joy through playing hockey? But at the time, were you aware of that commitment? If you were, did you feel additional pressure to deliver, to make it worthwhile in your mind, was there any thoughts of that nature, or were you just playing for the love of the game, or did that creep in?

Honestly, it's like, they're doing all of this for me. I better not waste it.

Exactly.

Yeah. I think that's kind of always in the back of my mind. But I knew that I didn't want to spend. You know, I love. I love where I grew up, I love my roots and. But I knew that I didn't want to. There's not a lot of opportunity in Mallard, so I knew that I wanted to eventually get out of that, and I didn't want to spend the rest of my life there. So, you know, I was kind of part of that and the drive to, you know, to just be the best I can be. And, you know, I found. I found hockey and, you know, I loved it, and I was passionate. I was still passionate for it. And, you know, I love it and, you know, I do it because it's fun and not just because I have to. And, you know, again, like, it was kind of. I loved hockey. I fell in love with hockey because, you know, I loved how freeing it was and how I felt on the ice. And that's kind of something that, you know, I never, never will never forget.

A lot of. A lot of athletes who have come from some of the scenarios that you've described. So, for instance, the racism or being bullied, a lot of athletes find their fuel and find their drive from trying to prove to people that they are worthwhile or that they're good or I'll show them. And that becomes a real fire within. But in a way, it almost. For some people, it ends up almost coming from hate instead of coming from the love of the game. It's more of a. It's almost the flip side of the coin. Did you ever go through a point where it was kind of that attitude of, oh, I can't stand them, I'll show them, or did it. Do you think it was both the love of the game and proving something to someone, or do you think it was one or the other?

To be honest with you, I think it was hating to lose.

That's such a common factor on this day. The best of the best. That's the thing we hear probably the most consistently. And I'm married to that person right there.

Yeah, that's so funny because, you know, that's exactly what it is. You know, I hate losing and I've always been such. So competitive throughout my entire life. I'd be in gym class and I've always been wanting to win whatever it takes kind of thing. So, you know, I've always been this way. And it's kind of. I think that's. It has helped me along the way, you know, and it's kind of given me that drive to. To, you know, to win and, you know, to be the best I can be.

Where do you think that comes from?

Definitely my dad.

Yeah. Yeah.

No hesitation.

Yeah.

100% my dad. It's always. Even when he would coach us, he would always help. I hate losing, so. I feel you. Yeah.

Yeah. Well, at least. Well, there's only the losses to win when you know you should have been beat. You know what I mean? There's. There's a difference between the loss of when you know you should have won, but when you know you didn't deserve to win. That's a whole nother feeling than when you know you deserve to win and you still didn't win.

And.

Yeah, they're both bad, but, yeah. Okay, take us forward. What was it like you. You worked through and how did you get to that point where you were at that U18 national team level?

Yeah, actually, it was.

I.

When was it. It was. I was like. It must have been 15. I had gotten cut from Team Manitoba that year. I went in as a, you know, in grade nine, a year younger than everyone else. And, you know, I just. I didn't have a good camp. I was. I was awful, to be honest with you. But, you know, they ended up taking my sister that year, so My sister was a goalie, so my sister ended up making, and I ended up getting cut. Oh, man.

That's hard.

Yeah, it was tough. And obviously, I was happy for my sister, but I was also. You. I hated that crush. I was crushed because I didn't, you know, I wasn't good enough to make this team. And so nationals was in Kitchener that year, and so my sister ended up going. And I remember, like, it was the longest week of my life because, you know, I did everything with her, and she was gone to nationals, and I was just kind of stuck at home. And, you know, when I found out that I didn't make that team, there was just, like, something inside me that I didn't like the way I felt, and I didn't want to feel that feeling again. So. I know it's like my dad and I sat down, we talked, and, you know, he was honest with me. He told me that I didn't have a good camp anyway. And then I have to get, you know, there's certain things I have to do to. To be better kind of thing. So, yeah, ultimately it was, you know, it's my fitness level at that point, and that was kind of something that, you know, I. You know, I worked on, you know, I. The entire year. That was kind of what drove me, was that, you know, I'm going to spend an extra, you know, a few minutes on the ice working on different types of skills, and, you know, I'm starting to go for runs, like, things like that. And, you know, there wasn't a lawn mower, so basically our only option was pretty much to haul wood and go for runs. So. Yeah. Yeah, so that. Basically, that's what I did. Shot a lot of pucks, and, you know, I'd always spend an extra 15, 20 minutes on the ice after practice. And, you know, there was a one point where my dad, he was like, you know, he's like, you need to work on your footwork on the blue line. So then he would rim the puck to me, and I would start in the middle, middle of the blue line, and then I would go and pick it up, try pick it up with one hand and bring it as fast as I can to the middle of the ice, and I'd shoot it. So I do that over and over and over and over again, unless it's on that for weeks. And so it's just different.

Things burn into your memory.

Yeah. Yeah. So it's just things like that. And that's just an example. And so, yeah, so then. So I Did that and I ended up getting an invite in that, that May of that year. My sister went to Nationals and then a few months later we had the invite. So they actually, Hockey Canada couldn't get a hold of us because we lived in Mallard and they didn't really have our, you know, our address or anything like that. So I was at the National Albertan Hockey Championships in Sault Ste. Marie with Team Mantoba. And Amber Lesage approached us. She's from Garden river just outside of Sault Ste. Marie. So she had approached us. I still remember that, you know, she invited us to, you know, to come to the U18 camp. And my sister and I. And she was, my sister was super pumped and I was just like, well, that's cool. And I noticed that I just don't get excited for things.

Well, you play it cool. Just play it cool.

So my sister was like called my dad thing. And then we didn't even have passports, so we had to get our passports done. So as soon as we finished at the National Aboriginal Hockey Championships, we bussed back from Sault Ste. Marie to Winnipeg. And then that day that my dad picked us up, we went and got our passports done and got all the forms filled out. So.

Oh my gosh.

Yeah, they were, they were super pumped. My sister and my dad. Still, I don't think it's dead end, to be honest. So anyways, I ended up being.

But you also, you also didn't really know what to expect. Like it's a whole different. It's, it's so different than what you'd experienced thus far.

Far.

And maybe your sister had had a bit of a taste but, you know, you didn't know what to, what to think, I imagine at that point.

Oh, that's exactly it too. You know, this is kind of ended up, you know, preparing for camp and we had the May testing and at that point we had a July testing. So it was, you know, when.

How was that first testing?

It was awful.

I know.

That was a loaded question.

I remember waking up and just being. As soon as I woke up, I'd be nervous. Oh yeah. Just nervous all day until I went to bed. And then that would be my break from being nervous. And then I still had, you know, for like four days as long as camp ran.

Oh yeah, yeah.

And that was, you know, that was even the first time I went on a plane, like when I went to May camp. Oh, so. So it was all just, you know, everything was just hitting me at once.

But overwhelmed. Deer in headlights.

Right There. Yeah. So anyway, yeah. Ended up, ended up passing May. May testing or whatever and then went to summer camp and then we had the inter squad games and my sister and I were on. On different teams and this was in July and then we found out, I think it was like the next week or the week after if we made the series or not because we had a three game series against the US.

And that's a bit of a nerve wracking time because you put so much in but then you still don't know whether you're moving on.

Yeah. And I had no idea how I did at camp. I was, you know, I'm still so like, I'm very hard on myself so I'd still like, you know, if I had a good game. I don't really know that or.

You're not accepting it.

Yeah, maybe. Yeah. But anyway, we ended up. I ended up finding out that I made the team, so I was going to Lake Placid but my sister didn't make the team. So that was, you know, that was. Oh my crushing gosh. Yeah. And you know, through that entire year ended up. We ended up going to the series and then I ended up making Team Manitoba for the first time that next year. And then I ended up making the U18 Worlds team. And you know, it was honestly just a great experience, kind of a blur.

But at the same time you must have felt like you're on top of the world.

Yeah, honestly, when I found out I ended up, when I went to nationals that year, I ended up getting top defenseman of the tournament and you know, I was on top of the world then because I was just like, what? Like, I just, I couldn't believe it really, because there was so many good defensemen. Like this is same time when, you know, Fortino was in the, you know, Fortino was in the mix and you know, it's like all these great defensemen. Yeah.

Yeah.

But, yeah, no, it was, it was, it was great. And then I ended up making the U18, the U18 team for the first time. So that was, that was pretty cool.

With players like Laura Fortino, did you connect with them right away? Like how. Because you're in those camp situations, especially when you're young, you're getting to know new players or other players for the first time and having to find that chemistry. What was that like for you?

Honestly, I'm very shy when I, When I first meet people and back then 10 years ago, I was, you know, wasn't talking at all.

Well, I, I mean, I I worked with the team for three years and. And you and I had very few interactions. Paul's like, what? She's like, what's she like?

I'm like, well, didn't talk that much.

Yeah, I talk more now.

Yeah, I can tell. It's night and day. No, that's. But, like, it's one of those things that it's almost like you don't know what you're missing until you. Until you find your own voice. And it's almost taken the journey you've gone through and the experiences you've had to find your voice to get the confidence, to have the kind of freedom in real life that you had as a younger athlete on the ice. That was your only freedom. And now it's almost like you've emerged to have this freedom in so many other places besides just on the ice.

Yeah, definitely. I've definitely come a long way.

Do you feel like hockey has been that for you and the things you've gone through have been that. That transformation for you to have more of a voice?

Yeah, 100%. You know, I guess as soon as, you know, everything that I've been through, honestly, I'm kind of, you know, I'm grateful that I went through all of that, you know, all the hardships and the ups and downs, and it's just, you know, that kind of, you know, molded me into the person I am today and, you know, getting cut from all these teams and, you know, that's definitely. It's, you know, I've learned a lot about myself and I guess just, you know, once I made the Olympic team, that was kind of. That's kind of when I really had my platform to be able to share my story and speak to kids. And over the past year has been, you know, I've had such a. I had. This past year has been. Has flown by, you know, is. Honestly, I blinked in all since now and, you know, just because I've been traveling so much and, you know, I've, you know, the Olympics and in Team Canada and hockey has given me that platform to be able to share my story and inspire you, and that's kind of what I've been doing over the past 12 months for.

You mentioned. I was going to say, you mentioned getting cut and the highs and the lows. So obviously it was quite a ride up to making the U18 squad. You guys were silver in 2009, 2010. You won gold, and, you know, you have that incredible experience. At what point did you set your sights on 24? When did you decide you wanted to be in the Olympics? Because that had to have obviously come into the picture somewhere in that phase. When did that come into the picture and what was that process like, going up to it and maybe let our listeners know what happened leading up to Sochi?

Yeah. So, you know, obviously that's kind of when it first, you know, when I got the invite to the U18 team, that's kind of when it set in. I was like, okay, this is like the first step and, you know, it's just the first step to, you know, reaching my ultimate goal. So I made the U18 team for the first couple years, got invited to try to play two team, made that team and then I ended up going to the University of Manitoba, first decided that, you know, that program wasn't for me and this is. That experience wasn't for me, and played, I think maybe six games there and then had transferred. I've always wanted to go to University of Minnesota Duluth. Always. You know, I look kind of. I looked up to Josh Barack and Carolyn Millett and, you know, they had such a great program there and I've heard nothing but good things. So that's kind of, you know, something that, you know, that's a place kind of where I wanted to go. And when I was, you know, that's kind of where that's when I called up. I think it was Laura Schuller at the time, it was Shuler or it might have been Shannon. And, you know, just basically asking them if they had a spot open for me. And they said 100% we do. And I ended up transferring down there to play at umd. So I had three years of eligibility there, did my freshman year and then my sophomore year. And I made the U22 team my sophomore year and went to Germany. And that's kind of when it. I didn't. Honestly, I knew that I was kind of, you know, I was on my way to the Olympic team, but I didn't know it was going to happen so quick.

And if it flies by like. Though a quad flies by like crazy. Especially when you're going from school to school and experiencing new teams and transitioning and then boom, like the time is just a blank.

Yeah, it went by. It went by so quick. So I ended up. It was my sophomore year at umd and it was after season I got this call and it was. I think it was after their world. I got a call from Dan Church, you know, inviting me to try out for, you know, be centralized. Asked me to be if you wanted to be centralized with the Olympic team. And to be honest with you, I had no idea what that meant.

You probably would have said no if you knew how bad centralization is.

Yeah, I don't think they actually tell anyone what it involved.

No.

Politely declined.

Great, we're all together. It's all good. It'll be fun.

Yeah, no, it was, it was awesome. I just, I just didn't know it was going to happen that quick. And I didn't even know I was in the running for, you know, to, to be centralized. So when I got that call, I was just like, yeah, like, for sure. Like 100, thank you for the, for asking or whatever. And ended up calling my dad. My dad was super pumped and I was actually with two of my best friends from college at the time when we were out for sushi. And yeah, he ended up calling and it was crazy. And anyway, so I ended up getting centralized. I didn't, honestly had no idea what to expect. I didn't know what any of this was. I knew that we were going to camp. Yeah, we're doing fitness testing. That's all. Because I've only done fitness testing and doing fitness testing. Then we had like a three week camp after that and we were going to Penticton. I had no idea that we were living in houses and I had no idea that we had cars to drive around in and just nothing like I had. I knew no one on this team. Yeah. And I mean, I played with Pooh and Fortino and Jenner and UA teens and that was it.

Yeah.

So I ended up getting centralized and went to camp, did the fitness testing, went to Penticton. That's kind of when everything was starting to, you know, become real. And again, got there, didn't know what to expect. The first day we got there, we did like this bike, the scavenger hunt bike, throughout Penticton. And that was just a terrible experience for me to start off with just because I didn't even know how to use a mountain bike. So I'm here, like, I don't even know how to switch my gears. And so I'm biking through this and I'm just, I, I was just, you know, wasn't.

Oh, that was, that was a bad, bad day. That was before I was at camp and I heard all sorts of horrible things about that first ride because people were like, almost lost and all the. There were way more hills than what was expected and people were out there for way too long. And yeah, it wasn't pretty.

It was crazy. And I remember just going. First time I went up a mountain and I didn't think I was going to make it. That was the first day. Yeah. So I ended up, you know, getting the hang of it, you know, learning how to switch my gears and when to use my gears. And that was kind of, you know, it took me about a week to figure that out, but eventually.

And then you can't. You can't walk after that anyway, because you've been on the bike for 60k or something for the first time in your life. Yeah.

Yeah. So the boot camp was. Was quite the experience, honestly. Still can't believe I went through that. Yeah. And, you know, we did so much biking there at that camp. And, you know, we had the. When we had the team activities on the Saturdays, the group bikes, and when I was telling my family about that, it just seemed like they didn't, you know, they couldn't believe it. I'm not lying. Like, it was like we biked 100 kilometers.

Yeah.

The first week.

And it's not. It's not flat road. It's. It's. It's dirt, gravel up and down. Yeah.

Yeah.

That's a. People don't understand that. So it's not just a flat go of it.

Yeah, it's pretty crazy. And, you know, even just to be at a camp, you know, I didn't even know. You know, I couldn't even believe that I was on this, like, trying out for the same team and on the same team as, you know, Haley Wickenizer and Gina Hefford and Carolyn Willette. It was just. It was crazy. You know, I. Yeah, looking back on it, I just. I couldn't even believe I was there.

It's almost like that. That imposter syndrome where people start to go, wait a second, I don't belong here. This isn't me. This isn't who I am yet. Everything you've done, everything you've worked for does show that you belong there and that you do deserve to be there. And that. That's. That's where you. That's who you are.

Yeah, it's. It's pretty crazy. And, you know, to be honest, you. I. I wasn't prepared for that centralization. And, you know, I honestly, you know, I. That's one of the things I look back on and I've learned from it one completely. But, you know, going in as a, you know, coming off my sophomore year and, you know, you just party in college pretty much. So it's kind of something that, you know, that's kind of what I did. That was my thing. And I remember when I went. It was like the second bike we did when we were at boot camp, and I was in the same group as. As Wicked, and there was a point where she was literally spiking beside me and pushing me up the mountain. She was pushing my bike seat up the mountain. And. And that's kind of when I reached. That was one of the first times I reached the point where I was like, I don't think I'm cut out for this. And, you know, I remember, like, this is what it has to take, but this is what it takes. But, like, I just don't think I'm, you know, I'm prepared for this. And, you know, through that, you know, I don't think I was, you know, I was mentally ready, emotionally ready and. And physically ready for that boot camp and that centralization and, you know, if I could go back and obviously I would. Would redo it. But, you know, I've learned. I'm learned. I've learned from that experience 100% and, you know, getting.

Go ahead.

Yeah. And then just, you know, that leading up to, you know, I ended up getting cut that. That year, and, you know, that was hard on me. It was. It was hard because, you know, I. I knew that I just wasn't, you know, at the end of the day, I just wasn't prepared for it. And, you know, I didn't give it, you know, all I could give pretty much.

So at any point in that camp, did you. It's obviously a massive adjustment. It's more training than you can imagine. It's mentally draining. It taxes you in every way and challenges you. Did you ever feel you belong? That you had a shot, that it was there? And what did it feel like to be. To have it taken away? The dream?

You know, like, I felt like, you know, I felt like I had the skill to be there and. But, you know, physically, I just. I wasn't. I wasn't ready. And, you know, mentally, and I just, you know, I. There was times where, you know, I, you know, there was all the games that I played there. I remember I was just like. There was the first game I played, and I was like, okay, this is not too bad. But then as the season went on, I was just like. Just like, this is, like, tough to do this every day, and I wasn't.

It's the grind. Yeah.

Yeah. And, you know, I've always also distracted by, you know, honestly, anything else and, you know, having a social life. And, you know, trying to have relationships here and there, and it was just, like. It just. I just wasn't focused on the task at hand and, you know, ended up, you know, getting cut and. No. Didn't deserve. Didn't deserve to make that team. And, you know, it was hard on me. It was hard on me to be told that I wasn't, you know, basically, I wasn't good enough. And, you know, I was. What was it, the top 28, but still, you know, super close, but not. And it was tough. It was hard on me. So since from when I got cut, I honestly, I was considering, like, just quitting hockey. I didn't even know I had another year left in Duluth, and I didn't even know if I wanted to go back. There was like, I reached a point where I was like, do I really, like. Do I like this? Like, do I love this? Or, you know, just questioning myself? And, you know, I've. I've. I've reached, you know, low points, you know, during that time. And I just. I was just trying to decide if I wanted to. I had to find the love of the game again. I was just trying to decide if what I wanted to do, you know, so I took, like, must have six months off and, you know, and, you know, it was. It was. Honestly, it was bad, and it was good, I guess. You know, it's bad because obviously, I got super out of shape and. But I had found, you know, decided that, okay, I want to do this. You know, I had to. It's almost like I just had to reset or something, and, you know, okay, I'm gonna go back. I'm gonna go back for my senior year. I'm gonna, you know, I'm a stick with hockey, and, you know, I basically just find the love of the game again. And. And that's what I did. And, you know, from there, I also, you know, obviously there's things that I had to learn along the way. And, you know, I loved having a social life, and I loved partying, and it was just like, that's kind of something that I also had to over kind of. That I struggled with through college and a couple of years after college. And so I ended up, you know, getting cut. And then I was just trying to, like, have fun, basically, in my senior year and, like, not really caring, just, you know, going there, playing hockey and just. That's pretty much what I was focused on. And, you know, looking back on it, you know, I would. Obviously, I would redo that. That part of my life, but you know, I've learned from it 100%. And yeah, so from there I ended up. Since, you know, I ended up, I ended up quitting, quitting drinking from. So from when I was like in a college, I basically partied non stop and then cuff.

Do you think it was a coping message? Do you think it was a coping mechanism for when you wanted to numb certain feelings or do you think it was a tool to help you feel more confident socially or a combination of all of that? What was it for you?

To be honest with you, I think it is like it was a combination of all of it. You know, something that, you know, I'm, you know, I'm just, oh, I'm just gonna go and like have fun and I don't really care. Like I'll just, you know, I'll just be good enough to just, you know, I'll just be good enough to make this team and that's it. And just be satisfied with just that.

Yeah.

You know, and I was. And I don't know, to be honest with you now, I don't know what I was thinking. But that's, that's what my, I kind of, my thought process was.

But then was it culture as well within the team or was this outside of the, the scope of the team?

No, honestly it's, you know, I think in college that usually you'd party a lot, but I was kind of more on the. I would, I feel like I'd be the one initiating it, to be honest.

Yeah, yeah.

And I would just deal with, with all of my problems and all my issues and I think that's what I would do and that's how it cope was with alcohol.

Yeah.

And you know, it kind of like gave me a. Honestly it gave me a sense of having confidence as well. Right. And I don't know, it was just, you know, I just, I partied a lot and you know, after that I ended up graduating college, I ended up coming to Calgary and again I thought I could still ended up making worlds that year with the senior team at that time. And you know, I thought I could do both. I thought I could, you know, still party and then, you know, still train and make the team. And I ended up making worlds in Malmo that year. And then the next year I ended up making in Kamloops. And I didn't change a single thing. I was just like, I'm just having fun with it, like, not a big deal, like, you know, I'm good enough to be there kind of thing. Right. But you know, I wasn't, I didn't reach my potential, I guess. And you know, from that point.

I.

You know, obviously had. I. It became, almost became like a problem I guess. You know, just because I would be in this, you know, I'd be training with all the girls in Calgary here, but you know, I honestly wouldn't even be there, you know, challenging them. Like I would just be there because I had to be there kind of thing. And not being true to myself and being a good teammate for them. Yeah.

Putting in the time.

Yeah.

You're not truly showing up. You're there, but you're not really in it.

Yeah.

To your best. Yeah.

And you know, looking back on that, obviously, you know, I had a lot to learn and so I reached, I honestly I reached a point where I, I just had enough. Like I was there was. I always, you know, I was drinking during the week and you know, I'd go to Skills and I'd come into the gym and be like, ah, like don't really, like I'm tired today. Like I don't really be mid season, you know, I just wouldn't.

You're in denial that the alcohol is affecting you at all and all of that.

Yeah. And I was just like, yeah, like. And I wouldn't be, you know, I wouldn't be doing the full workout or something like that and I just wouldn't be, I guess just wouldn't be reaching my full potential. And there was a point where we ended up going to a. There we ended up going to a trip to Japan with our Inferno team. And that was the last time I drank was, was after like was that trip and I got back from that trip and you know, I was, you know, from that point and throughout my time that I was drinking, like I had, I became a person where. Who I wasn't proud of and I, you know, I, looking back on it, you know, I became someone totally different than who, you know, I truly was, you know, and I would just treat people disrespectful and just not be, you know, a good person. So. And I knew that, that I know I was starting to get asked to go speak to these communities but you know, I didn't feel like I could truly, you know, be that role model too.

Because you felt like a hypocrite.

Yeah, exactly. And I couldn't, I couldn't do that because I wasn't true to myself. So you know, I ended up coming back from Japan and you know, I ended up approaching Mel and you know, honestly told her I Wanted to quit drinking and that I needed help.

That must have been so hard.

Yeah, yeah, it was pretty tough.

Must have been so hard.

Yeah, it was. It was on. It was pretty tough to do that. And I ended up. So she ended up, you know, kind of working with me through that. Got a, you know, got a therapist, had talked to, you know, got, you know, kind of was talking to someone for. For quite a few months there. And then we ended up telling the. The coaching staff of the national team that, you know, what I wanted to do and what I, you know, what I want, like, basically that I want to change my lifestyle kind of thing. And it was actually Schuler. Laura Schuller was the head coach at the time, and she had coached me through college. So she knew. She knew, you know, what I was like, your habits. Yeah, yeah. And I told her that, you know, I want to quit drinking and I need help. And that was it. And, you know, obviously they were super supportive. You know, I had great friends, you know, I had, you know, Bailey and Blair and Jess Campbell, and they were, you know, super supportive of that and not to mention the teammates as well. But, you know, it was, you know, just having the support of them and, you know, having the support of my family that was kind of something that had gotten me through it.

But you're. You're so strong to. To reach out and amazing that you can recognize in yourself that pattern that wasn't true to who you wanted to be and who you. Not only for yourself, but for your community and as a role model, like you've said. And it's just so powerful to hear you describe your strength and reaching out and sharing with others that there was an issue that you had, because in a team environment, a lot of times everyone in that team, especially with the team that you're trying to play with, showing any weakness or perceived something that could be perceived as weakness can feel risky as a leap of, if I talk about this, is this going to be my spot on the team? Am I going to be viewed differently? In a lot of circles, people simply won't bring up something like that because they're afraid for their position and their status within the team.

But it takes true courage. True courage comes in the face of vulnerability, and that's where the transformation and all the real growth happens. So, you know, huge acknowledgement to you for being not only that courageous to go through it at the time, but also to have a voice about it and to continue to persevere and share your story. So that's Huge.

Thank you.

So how was it after unloading that, getting the help and growing and being accepted? What did. Did you.

Was it really tough at first?

Did you feel like a new person? Yeah. How did. How did you feel?

Yeah, honestly, I was. I. I haven't. I didn't really. I wasn't really open about it. I was open with my close friends and. And teammates, obviously, but, you know, I wasn't open about it just because, you know, I needed to. You know, I. I almost felt like I needed to prove it to myself. And, you know, it was. It was hard for me. You know, I've. There was days where it was just like, okay, this is, like, now what do I do? And I'm just finding things to, you know, fill my time. And, you know, I had Bailey as her roommate for the last few years, and she's honestly one of my. She's one of my best friends. She's like a sister to me. And, you know, she had. She had quit drinking with me for an entire year, for my first year. And, you know, it was. It was honestly just having support like.

That, and she's a rock star star. That's awesome. Yeah, that's so her. That's so her.

Yeah, so she was. She was great about. She was awesome. And honestly, still can't believe that she did that. And. But it was great. Like, it was just having that support from all of my friends and, you know, how much. Just seeing how much they cared was unbelievable. So, you know, the first. First year was. Was hard. Ended up getting centralized again, and at this time around, I knew that I didn't want to. I didn't want to mess things up, so it was kind of. That was my priority. It was hockey and, you know, and through that entire year, it wasn't. It wasn't easy. I had my ups and downs. You know, I had my. I had my times where I was like, okay, like, I think I'm gonna make this team. Like, I think I. I think I can do it. And then there was times where I was like, I am not. Like, I was brutal today. You know, I had, like, so many up and ups and downs like that, and so many times. There was just, like. It was. Because usually I would use alcohol to cope with, you know, hard times. So, you know, that was. It was tough in that way. But honestly, having all the support from my friends and my teammates and, you know, they all knew everything that I've been through, so it was kind of. It was easier in that way. But, you know, when I Made, you know, when I made the team, it was one of the best, you know, best things that is, you know, that I've ever gone through. Just because, you know, it's just working like, I guess just, you know, working my butt off for that past. That year pretty much. And, you know, knowing that, you know, I quit. I quit drinking and I'm trying to change my lifestyle and I'm working at it and, you know, for it to finally pay off, it was. It was pretty amazing.

And how did. How did it feel as well to, you know, you smashed the barrier. You're the first first nations athlete to make the women's national hockey team to represent us at the Olympics. Did that matter to you? Or was it more purely the personal achievement of going through the camp, overcoming your obstacles was. Can you describe, I think it, you know, what it was like when you really found out that you were going to.

It was. It was unbelievable. I still remember walking into that room and I was shaking and sweating and all of these emotions, and then finally, you know, having the, you know, having the coach reach over and say, congratulations on becoming an Olympian, that was, you know, something that I'll never forget. And, you know, I remember how excited and relieved, Like, I was so relieved because I, like, Bailey and I were. We were so nervous leading up to that point. Like, did she tell you that we went on a roller coaster ride when we were in Edmonton? Just does not feel nervous for 30 seconds.

Oh, wow.

No, she didn't.

No. It was two days before we were finding out, and we had a game in Edmonton against the U.S. and then we had a couple more league games or another league game, and we had a day off in Edmonton. We were like, let's go to West Edmonton Mall. Okay. They want to go on the roller coaster. Okay. And. Yeah. Oh, man.

So, like, was that a point where it was hard not to have a drink because, you know, you've got this day off that you're just. You don't know what's going on. Would that be. Have been a point where you want to kind of just make. Make all that go away?

Yeah. 100. And usually, you know, in the past, like, that's what I would do. If something was stressful, I would. That's the first thing I would do. So, you know, it was different mechanism. So. And. But, you know, we ended up going on a roller coaster. Ended up not feeling nervous for, you know, 20 seconds or whatever it was.

But it was new coping mechanisms.

Yeah. Roller coasters.

Yeah.

Adrenaline junk, you know.

Yeah, exactly.

Exactly.

Yeah. But honestly, finding out that I made the team, and it was unbelievable. But, you know, you know, kind of trying, you know, changing my lifestyle and quitting alcohol, and that was kind of something when. That's when I started to set in that, you know, what I can. I feel like I can truly be a role model for, you know, the indigenous kids across Canada. So, you know, absolutely.

That's a big deal. And that's. I mean, now if you look back at everything you've experienced, it's almost like you had to go through everything you went through in order to be who you are now. And now, you know, you have this platform that is serving something that's larger than yourself. It's. It's serving communities that need a voice like yours to say, you know, if. If I can do these things, you can do these things, too. Whether you have an example in your family or not, you can do these things.

Yeah, 100%. And that's exactly kind of the message. The message that I share with them, you know, is kind of, you know, because I go to a lot of. I went. I've gone to a lot of communities over the past year, and, you know, some remote and some are not basically just sharing that, you know, you can achieve anything that you set your mind to. You know, it doesn't matter where you come from. You know, I came from, you know, come from Ballard, and, you know, it's a community of less than 100 people.

And how do they receive you when you. When you go there? You know, is it. Does it seem pretty foreign to them? Are they really excited to learn about what you've experienced?

You know, they're super excited. You know, every experience that I've had in every community, there's always, you know, all the. All the kids are super, super pumped. I know. I remember when I went to the Olympics and I was getting tagged on Twitter and Facebook, and there was this reserve in. Just outside of Detroit on the Canadian side in Walpole island, and they ended up getting T shirts made with the said Laquette number four on it, and their entire school was wearing them during the Olympics.

Oh, that's sick.

Pretty cool. And that was kind of something that I'll never. You know, obviously I'll never forget. And I ended up going to their. Their school after the Olympics, and they invited me there. And, you know, just having experiences like that, and I didn't even know. I didn't even realize that, you know, the impact that I had when I was at the Olympics. Like, I kind of like I was like, oh, this is cool. And getting all these like Facebook messages is awesome. You know, getting tweeted at all this, all this stuff and thought it was pretty cool. But I didn't even realize the impact I had until I came home and started going to these communities and seeing these, the smiles on the kids faces and all their questions. And you know, I've met people and like, I've, like, I've met people and they started crying like it was just.

Like things like that, oh, you've got true fans. You're a hero to so many people.

Yeah, it's unbelievable. And I just, I honestly, honestly can't believe it.

Is that Classroom Champions a part of that program of going to schools or how does that.

No.

So we definitely want to, we want to talk about that as well.

Yeah, so no, the.

Tell us about Classroom Champions.

Yeah, so the, I'm a mentor for the Classroom Champions. I was started by an American bobsledder, actually, Steve Mesler, and he had started to pair up Olympians to mentor, I guess, classrooms across North America. So there's different types of Olympians, there's, I guess there's track athletes and there's skeleton athletes and things like that from both Canadian and American Olympians. And he, I guess we're paired up with, with different types of schools. They had started a program called the Circle program. So that matches me up with, you know, all the indigenous classrooms that want to be part of Classroom Champions and that gives them the available, I guess they're just available to, I just, they can access a mentor. And you know, I mentor about, I think maybe like eight classrooms right now. And each month we talk about different types of virtues, you know, humility, respect and whatnot. And we have, you know, one topic and you know, I send in a video, I chat about it, what it means to me, and you know, I give them like some type of homework to complete and they, they watch the video, they do their homework and the teacher puts it on the Google page and I go to take a look at it. So, you know, I kind of mentor them through that way. And then twice a year, once or twice a year we do like a kind of a Skype call because, you know, my classrooms are pretty much all over kind of Saskatchewan, White Horse, Alberta and bc. So and then I have a school actually that's in Calgary called PTU's family school. So I have a couple classrooms there. So I'm able to go and you know, go, you know, go to their classroom and the kids and see the Work that they're doing there. But, yeah, no, the Classroom Champions, it just pairs. It pairs Olympians with different schools across Canada. That's super cool. Super cool. I guess for kids that, you know, don't have that type of. That don't have access, exposure.

That they wouldn't have other. They wouldn't have an awareness of athletes and what they're doing and who they are and the work ethic and the values and all of that. Unless this. If this program didn't exist.

Yeah. So it's. The kids are. The kids are awesome to do that. But, you know, the stuff that I've been doing with. It's kind of. It's been separate. So I do the Classroom Champions during the school year, and the stuff I did, the communities have, you know, emailed me or they have sent me a Facebook message or something like that asking me to come to the community, and then they just said something up there. So I've done.

That's amazing.

That's great. Yeah. It's on. Great experience.

Is that what you want to continue to do? What's next for you? Are you. Are you going through another quad for another Olympics? What. What is. What's in your sights now?

Yeah, well, I want to continue doing the mentoring and Classroom Champions and speaking and whatnot. And for the next quad, I'm hoping, too, that's kind of what I'm hoping to kind of achieve over the next four years. So. Yeah, we'll see.

Well, let's. I'm going to wrap up with a few questions here just so people can get to know you a little bit better. And is there anything that's kind of unique or interesting about you that most people don't know? Maybe a former roommate knows. But anything interesting that you want people to know about you that most don't?

Oh, man. Um. I'm a very clean person.

Nice.

Very tidy. Very tidy.

Come to our house.

Yep.

That's good.

That's a virtue.

Yes, we like that. We like that a lot. What about favorite food or dessert?

My favorite dessert would be banana cream pie. Oh.

One of our kids would just adore you.

Yeah.

Or fight you for the dessert. One of the two. He's the hockey player, by the way.

So. Awesome. And just the favorite food would be my mom's homemade pizza.

Oh, yeah, we love a good homemade pizza. That's awesome. What about favorite movie or movies?

Favorite movies.

Man.

I have honestly have so many favorite movies. I watch a lot of movies, but I would say possibly the Wedding Singer.

The Wedding Singer. Don't Jinx the band.

Love it.

Love it.

That's so great.

Or Blow. Johnny Depp stars in that one.

Oh, I haven't seen that. I don't think I've seen that.

It came out in maybe the early 2000s.

I haven't seen. I'm betting you that Kari's seen it because she forgets almost every movie that we've watched. So it's wonderful. You just put something on it. It's new again. Shut up. It's true.

It's just.

It's because of. The last decade has been so intense. I have to delete some things out of my brain. But prior to that, I remember the lines to every movie I ever watched. Like Dumb and Dumber and you know.

Anyway, what about favorite book?

Are you.

Do you like to read? Do you have favorite book?

Honestly don't have a favorite book? I have just. I've read Oprah's book. That's probably the last book that I.

Read, but I haven't read that. And do you have other hobbies outside of hockey and what's. What are some things that you like to do?

I love to golf, but mostly spend a lot of time with my family. Taught myself how to longboard a couple years ago.

Sweet.

So I do a lot of that in the summertime. Where to? Honestly? Anywhere. It's just like a. You know, a longboard is. It's kind of like a skateboard, basically.

But like typically. Well, I don't know about Calgary, but Winnipeg's roads are.

Oh, it's awful.

You can't just not conducive for that.

Terrible roads. But Calgary is nice. Yeah, there's a lot of different paths here, so.

And then what do you like to listen to to kind of get you into pre game or the kind of state or mood that you like?

Oh, man, I listen to every, every genre, to be honest with you.

I think in team sports you kind of have to because you get so many different flavors from people's tastes that you almost have to be able to tolerate.

I've also been the DJ of the national team for the past few years, so really I think basically because I'm the first one to plug my phone in, so I think that's kind of why. But yeah, you know, I love music.

You took the responsibility.

That's good.

And what about. What tip do you have for young up and comers in the sport, female hockey players? What would you say if you had to give a piece of advice?

I think just, you know, have fun and, you know, make sure. You're having fun in what you're doing and work hard. Mm.

That's. It's a nice combination because a lot of people don't realize they can still have fun and things can be hard work and it can still be fun, you know. That's great.

Yeah.

They can go together.

Yeah, exactly. Well, we are so grateful that we got to spend some time with you and get to know you and your story a whole lot more, because this is. It's been just so easy and such a pleasure for us. And I know that this is going to make a huge difference for other people. So thank you. Thank you very much.

Thank you so much for having me.

It was our pleasure. And anyone looking to find Bridget, you can get her on Instagram or Twitter. R, I, G, L, A, C, Q, U, E, T, T, E. And Bridget. Absolutely. Like Kari said, thank you so much. The way you shared and opened up about your ups and downs is inspirational for everyone listening, I'm sure. So thank you again.

Thank you guys.

Thank you so much for listening.

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