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Olympian Overview: Miranda Ayim

On Team Canada, Miranda Ayim is her own demographic.

Of the 12 athletes who comprise the Canadian women's Olympic basketball team, seven are under age 25, four are in their 30s.

And then there is Miranda, who celebrated her 28th birthday in May.

"I'm kind of in the middle by myself," says the six-foot-three power forward from London, Ont.

Having taken the trail blazed by the likes of Kim Gaucher and Shona Thorburn, vets who set the tone for the SWNT's ascent over the last decade, Miranda can impart wisdom on Natalie Achonwa, Kia Nurse, and the rest of the young core that has propelled Team Canada towards the top.

"It's an interesting position to be in, and I'm not sure when I progressed into being a leader," says Ayim, who has played more than 100 games with the SWNT since 2010, including appearances at the 2012 London Games and 2014 FIBA World Championships.

"Maybe it's still happening, but I was here for a couple major tournaments, like Worlds and Olympics, so after you've been for a while people start seeing you as a veteran, regardless of your age."

Miranda also bridges the pop culture gap between her teammates that used dial-up internet as kids, and those that were raised on social media.

"Simple things like Snapchat, all the kids have it and I'm still young enough to be in that area, but I don't have Snapchat, none of the older people have Snapchat - we don't even know how this works or why we would want it in our lives,� she laughs. "So some of those things we tease the younger players about."

For her part, Miranda finds inspiration in every Canadian player, no matter their age or experience.

"Just seeing what my teammates bring to practice, either their passion or specific skills, it gives me fresh ideas to do or challenge myself," Miranda says.