Canada Day 2012 will always be a special date for us at Canada Basketball:  that’s the day our Senior Women’s National Team secured a berth at the London Olympic Games. This series of Q&A’s with our national team players helps you get to know the inspiring women who are part of that team that will represent Canada proudly in London.

Hometown: Brampton, Ontario

High School: Chinguacousy Secondary School

University: University of Massachusetts

Years with Canada Basketball: 9

Games with Canada Basketball:96

Canada Basketball - What is your favorite Olympic memory?

Alisha Tatham - We have had a saying with our team for the past 4 years: "it's not every 4 years, its everyday for 4 years". My teammates and I have lived by that as soon we heard it. The process it took to get to this point, the obstacles and stepping-stones, is my favorite Olympic memory.

CB - Which team are you most looking forward to playing against in London?

AT - France. It's a good match up for our team. We have played them twice this summer and keep getting to know them and their tendencies better. So, it would be good to play them for a third time and see both of us go at it once again. Third times the charm :).

CB - What do you think the biggest challenge will be for you and the team at these games?

AT - Managing distractions as far as the excitement and media etc. But we have already been prepped on how to handle all the distractions so I think we will be able to manage that.

CB - Do you have any pregame rituals? What are they?

AT - I do a relaxation/imagery session with our team Sport Psych Roger Freisen and listen to music on the ride to the gym.

CB - Who is the teammate that you are most excited to see take the floor for the first Olympic game?  Why?

AT - Well this is an easy one, my sister Tamara of course. I have seen her grow into the player she is today because I have played with her all my life so to see her play on the biggest stage for basketball in the world is going to be so amazing!! I'm her biggest fan!

CB - What advice would you give to young athletes who are pursuing an Olympic dream?

AT - My advice to them would be pursue excellence, not perfection. There is an important difference in the two words. Pursuing excellence is doing all the little things and just getting better everyday and every workout, whereas pursuing perfection is unattainable. And that you have to be completely unbreakable! Because it is not easy to become an Olympian, you would have to be unbreakable to endure all that will be thrown your way during the journey.

CB - Tell us something special or unique about yourself that we might not know.

AT - I am a foodie! I love good food and like tasting all different types of cuisine. I always said if I weren’t playing basketball I would either be a chef or a food critic like the ones on the food network that just does all the tasting!  

To read other, "Getting to Know Our Olympians," click the athletes names below:

Teresa Gabriele
Natalie Achonwa
Michelle Plouffe
Tamara Tatham
Chelsea Aubry
Kim Smith
Shona Thorburn
Lizanne Murphy
Miranda Ayim
Courtnay Pilypaitis
Krista Phillips  

Below is the Canadian preliminary schedule, with the broadcast information.

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