On Thursday, Abby Roque will make history when she becomes the first Indigenous woman to play hockey on the U.S women's team at the Winter Olympics.
Roque is a member of the Wahnapitae First Nation, which is based in Ontario, ESPN reported.
Hockey has always been a part of her life.
Growing up in Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., the 24-year-old played on an ice rink in her backyard that her father Jim built.
According to NBC Sports, he coached at Lake Superior State and is currently a scout for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
After attending the University of Wisconsin, where she captured a national title in 2019, she is hoping to inspire other Indigenous girls to play, telling the Washington Post that it "was eye-opening for me, just how little Indigenous people are in the sport of hockey and how that should change.”
Roque told ESPN that the goal is to make hockey more inclusive for everyone.
The U.S. women's hockey team will face Finland Thursday, a day before Opening Ceremonies.
