It's Official

I've spoken about my admiration for the woman to the left on this blog before. In the article linked above, it was pretty clear from what Miss Labonté stated in her interview with The Canadian Press that the end of her career was nearing. She had already ruled out the 2018 Winter Olympics, and her plans to follow her dreams in becoming a chef were already underway. The only question left to answer was when she finally was going to take the next step and make that dream her full-time reality. Today - September 25, 2017 - is that day.

Today on Twitter, Charlene Labonté posted the following message.

And with that, Charlene Labonté has retired from competitive hockey.

She'll always be one of my favorite hockey players - male or female. She's an Olympic gold medalist, she's an outspoken leader for the LGBTQ community, and she's an outstanding teammate. She's on her way to being a culinary master, and I have no doubt she will exceed in the kitchen as much as she did on the ice.

Enjoy your retirement, Charlene. Thanks for being a role model on and off the ice to millions of people. You filled Canadians with pride each time you stepped on the ice, and you certainly represented the maple leaf and every logo you wore on your chest as courageously as anyone before you and with the respect each deserved. I have a feeling your culinary career will see you put as much time and dedication into it to become a master of your craft as you did with goaltending.

Thanks for being awesome, Charlene! Bon appetit!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!