Kendall Coyne - As Fast As Her: Dream Big, Break Barriers, Achieve Success

What Kendall Coyne is doing for the sport is not just about herits not even just about her team. She is changing peoples perspectives about what a woman can accomplish. In As Fast As Her, she shares her mission of empowerment, showing all readers how they can open the door to whatever they love and confidently walk through.

Manon Rhaume, the first woman to play in the NHL, Olympic medalist, and speaker

I met Kendall when she was seven years old, when she first had a dream to play hockey in the Olympics. It was a thrill to watch her grow into an elite athlete and achieve her dream of winning gold. On top of that, she shocked the sports world by proving she is as fast as the best mens players in the world. Kendall is an incredible leader, a huge advocate for the game, and the perfect role model for the younger generation. This is a must-read story.

Cammi Granato, member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, Olympic medalist, and NHL pro scout

When I first met Kendall Coyne back when she was a young, excited fan, I had no idea what an amazing player and person shed become. In the years since, Ive been amazed by Kendalls focus on becoming the best she can be, her drive to make her mark on the sport and achieve her goals, and her dedication to helping young people grow and see the possibilities in themselvesincluding her fight to create a better future for women in hockey. Throughout As Fast As Her, as she shares the challenges and obstacles shes overcome in her career, Kendall offers a powerful message to any young person who is chasing their dream or working to make their voice heard: Dont let anyone tell you no, and fight for the respect you deserve with everything you have. In the end, I came away an even bigger fan of Kendall, and hope this book inspires a new generation to follow in her footsteps.

Chris Chelios, three-time Stanley Cup Champion and member of the Hockey Hall of Fame

Kendall Coyne is one of the most impactful athletes ever to lace up a pair of skates. While she is best known for her explosive speed, what I admire most about her is her fierce determination, fearlessness, and work ethic. Not every athleteno matter how giftedpossesses the mental toughness to show up on a big stage. In addition to showing up for Team USA on the international stage numerous times, Kendalls clutch performance at the 2019 NHL All-Star Skills Competition was a shining example of thriving under intense pressure. That lap was a barrier-shattering moment for the womens hockey world, and only someone like Kendall could have pulled it off. Every athlete and sports fanno matter your age, gender, or favorite sportwill be able to enjoy and learn something from Kendalls story of overcoming obstacles, constantly pushing herself to greater heights, and rising to the occasion when called upon.

Patrick Burke, Senior Director of Player Safety for the NHL

As Fast As Her is sure to inspire, as Kendall is a leader and role model both on and off the ice. As a professional, I have had the honor to work with her to create the Golden Coynes program to welcome youth girls into our great game and help them keep playing. As a mom to my ten-year-old daughter, Amelia, Ive seen the impact Kendall has made in helping her to set goals and dream BIG!

Annie Camins, Chicago Blackhawks Senior Director, Youth Hockey

ZONDERVAN

As Fast As Her

Copyright 2022 by Kendall Coyne Schofield

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ISBN 978-0-310-77113-5 (hardcover)

ISBN 978-0-310-77685-7 (audio)

ISBN 978-0-310-77114-2 (ebook)

Epub Edition November 2021 9780310771142

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Cover design: Sean Grady

Cover photo: Getty Images

Interior design: Denise Froehlich

Printed in the United States of America

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 /SCC/ 15 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

To my familyyour unconditional love, support, and sacrifice allowed me to chase my dreams.

To all my teammates, coaches, support staff, and fansthank you for pushing me to be my best on and off the ice.

To the next generationalways follow your dreams.

CONTENTS

K endall Coyne is a winner on the ice and a champion and leader in life. Its not an easy combination to achieve or keep together, but it is an important one. You may have seen her professional level of success, as she was part of the 2018 Olympic gold-medalwinning hockey team and has won an amazing twenty-one medals in international competition. But in this book, she reveals her characterthe root of her inner successthat is so important to defining who she really is.

We first met at an espnW event in 2010, but we really got to know one another after she grabbed the attention of the sports world at the 2019 NHL All-Star Game in San Jose, California, when she stepped onto the ice as a last-minute replacement in the skills competition, becoming the first woman to compete in the Fastest Skater Competition. She finished less than a second behind the winner, becoming the fastest woman on the ice. So many times, women only get attention when they do something in a mans arena. It is unfortunate, but it is the reality we face. So you have to make the best of the situation, and Kendall certainly did that. In the quick skate, she showed every boy and girl that if you want something bad enough, you can find a way to make it happen.

That night in San Jose, Kendalls life changed forever. She had done something bigger than hockey, bigger than herself, and it was almost bigger than life; she became a representation of what a woman can do if given the chance. How you handle those moments is part of what defines you.

In October 2019, I joined her at center ice during a Chicago Blackhawks game, where I was supposed to shoot a hockey puck into a very small hole that was set up in front of the goal. It was pretty much an impossible task and more for entertaining the crowd than for demonstrating my skill. I had never held a hockey stick in my hands before that night. I worked for a few minutes with Kendall and her brother Kevinboth of whom showed me how to hold the stick and how to execute the shot.

As Kendall held my arm and escorted me onto the ice, I can tell you my knees were shaking. But she kept me calm. Three pucks were laid in front of me. The first two... well, lets just say they were not great attempts. But for the third and final one, I took a deep breath, remembered what Kendall and Kevin had shown me about technique, and I let it rip. It felt like it took a lifetime to reach the net and it was not a thing of beauty, but I think we all almost fainted when the puck slowly disappeared through the hole and into the net. Kendall was jumping up and down and waving her hands. She was so excited, and her reaction showed me how much she loves helping others.