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: Mission, British Columbia

High School: Heritage Park Secondary School

University: Simon Fraser University

Years with Canada Basketball: 15

Games with Canada Basketball: 184

Canada Basketball - What is your favorite Olympic memory?

Teresa Gabriele - To date ... walking into the opening ceremonies at the 2000 Sydney Olympics with all the other Canadian athletes.  The sense of pride and accomplishment is unimaginable.  I get goose bumps thinking about it.  I can't wait to experience these same feelings in London with my amazing teammates and all the other Canadian athletes.

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

TG - All of them!!!!  Playing Great Britain is going to be pretty cool because they are the hometown crowd and the atmosphere will be great.  However, each and every game I feel like we have something to prove.  This team is capable of doing amazing things!

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

TG - The Olympic Games are the biggest sporting event in the world, and there are a lot of distractions.  With that said, our team does an amazing job at dealing with distractions and not letting them disrupt our path and our goal.  With all the hype and distractions that come with the Olympics, we need to go out on the court and perform at the highest level that we can throughout the games.

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

TG - Um...apparently dancing to Bon Jovi with my crazy roommate Chelsea!  Ha ha!!  Honestly though, I don't have anything that I NEED to do, but I enjoy listening to some music one the way to the gym.  I always put my shoes on the same way...left sock, right sock, left shoe, right shoe.

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

TG - Everyone!!!  I am the only one on the team who has been to an Olympics.  So I am excited for everyone else to be able to experience the most amazing sporting event in the world.  I can't wait to see their faces and to share this experience with them.

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

TG - Don't let ANYONE tell you, you can't do something because you are too big, too small, too weak, too slow, etc.  If you have a dream, give it your all!  You will be amazed at the power of dedication, persistence, mental and physical toughness, perseverance, and passion.

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

TG - I am the youngest of 4 kids.  I have an older sister, and two older brothers.  They all have families, so I have three nephews and three nieces.  All of us kids live in Mission, B.C. and my parents currently live in Abbotsford.

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

Natalie Achonwa
Alisha Tatham
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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