By Ewa Chwojko-Srawley
During the Paris Olympics, the Georgina community came together at the MURC to cheer on Chloe Daniels from Sutton. She was playing with the Canada Women’s 7 Rugby Team as they battled for a medal in the Olympic finals. Last Sunday, an even larger crowd gathered again at the MURC to meet Chloe in person and celebrate her silver medal achievement!
Chloe, a member of the Aurora Barbarians, began playing rugby at just 10 years old, and through hard work and dedication she has achieved incredible success. In Paris, she scored 7 of Canada’s 12 points in the hard-fought 19-12 loss to defending champion New Zealand.
Mayor Margaret Quirk, in her speech, praised Chloe for inspiring young people in small towns, saying she gives them hope and shows that dreams really can come true.
Indeed, many young people lined up to chat with Chloe and to get autographs. Abigail, 6, and her brother Henry, 2, brought a rugby ball to be signed. Their mom, Stephanie Kloosterman, shared that Abigail was bursting with excitement to meet Chloe. As a member of the same rugby club, Abigail was thrilled to see one of her own achieve such incredible success!
Another young rugby player, Isabella Spencer-Thompson, said, “Chloe’s victory has set the tone for girls everywhere to dive into this sport! She has truly inspired me to elevate my game in rugby. I aim to compete at the provincial and national levels, and I am determined to make it happen!”
Maya and Olivia, fellow rugby enthusiasts, exclaimed, “It’s super exciting that our Canadian team skyrocketed from 9th to 2nd place! The game was absolutely thrilling, and we can’t stop rewatching it on YouTube!
While millions of fans watched the games on television, Chloe’s family was right there in the stands in Paris, cheering her on. Chloe’s mother, Sue Daniels, recalls, “We were there every single day, cheering at the top of our voices, sitting on the edge of our seats. It was a wild, thrilling ride because they were the underdogs, but they fought their way to victory in every game!”
Chloe’s father, Nick Daniels, adds, ‘We always dreamed our daughter would one day represent Canada at the Olympics, but her performance surpassed all our expectations!”
Chloe has returned to her studies at Queen’s University, but she hasn’t let go of rugby. When asked about her future plans, she shares, “My dream is gold, of course. I’d also love to coach someday. I hope that because of our success at the Olympics, more girls will be inspired to take up this wonderful sport.”
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