#StrongerTogether Alexandra Vafina’s mother played at Salt Lake 2002. She's “happy and proud” to watch her daughter compete in Beijing 20 years later

Before Lyubov Vafina got on the plane to represent Kazakhstan in ice hockey at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics, her 12-year-old daughter Alexandra (Sasha) wrote a little card for her mom, and secretly slipped it into her bag.

“I remember opening this present from home. It feels like yesterday. Very touching," Lyubov shares to Olympics.com, "We were always on the go between camps and competitions. Before I left, we only had time for a quick kiss and a hug.”

Now, 20 years later, Sasha is preparing to add the latest chapter of Vafina family Winter Games history, also in ice hockey, at Beijing 2022. Her mother's experience was an inspiration.

“Cameras were becoming popular at that moment, and our mom was sending photos and videos by email." Sasha shares in the same Olympics.com interview.

"I found it fascinating, as she was somewhere exotic and far, in the USA.”

In the past 20 years, Sasha Vafina has followed in her mothers footsteps by rising to the top of the sport, and playing in the U.S..

Her successful career included spells studying in the USA and Canada, and playing in the highest division of NCAA.

The Beijing 2022 Olympics are her third Games, and she's now one of the aces on the ROC women's team.

But it could have been so different.

Lyubov’s Vafina sport switch for Kazakhstan

Lyubov Vafina was born in 1967 in Almaty, and her initial sporting experience was as a figure skater.

She shared that after giving birth, her coach hinted that a figure skating comeback would be close to impossible.

He suggested she try ice hockey, and in just a few years she was representing her nation at the 2002 Olympics.

"I have always liked hockey. When women's ice hockey was just added to the Olympic program, all the girls who could skate were invited to try out for a training squad in Kazakhstan. I already had the skating technique in place, so it wasn't too hard," Lyubov told Olympics.com.

"My parents were first against me taking up hockey. Travelling to the training and back took three hours, and it was hard to manage the time. But I always knew hockey would become a big part of my life."

Daughter Sasha, born in 1990, saw her mom as a role model, and also took up hockey, first joining a boys' team. She admits it was not easy to be the only girl on the squad.

"Whenever a boy would make a mistake, the coach would point at me and say, "Look, even a girl can do it!""

Sasha’s career in the U.S.

The USA holds a special place in the athletic careers of both women.

As well as being the venue for Lyubov's Olympic experience, it's also where Sasha launched her top level career. She played in the NCAA’s highest division for University of Minnesota.

In an interview to Olympics.com, Lyubov admits that letting her daughter leave for America was not easy. She was concerned about the language and the differences in training methods.

"I told her to learn the language first. [The] language barrier can be a true difficulty. On top of that, she was not ready to shine at that level. She needed to learn the basics and the technique in Russia. All the skill, skating, and hockey stick technique, passes, was developed back at home."

In the long run, her worries turned out to be justified. Sasha admitted that language barrier was a true challenge,

"In the beginning, my English was not fluent. Whenever anybody would start a chat with me, I would just nod and smile."

Nevertheless, she persevered both in her studies and sports career.

“It was a valuable experience. It was hard, as it was my first long international trip. I was the first Russian-speaking person on the team. I am a flexible person, so I learned and adapted fast.”

The biggest growth for Sasha, however, happened in at a professional level.

“People treat women’s sports better in the U.S.. They pay much more attention to it. For the first time I felt like I was a real professional. I saw how people work and enjoy what they do.”

Mother and daughter on the same ice

Upon her return to Chelyabinsk, Sasha started playing for her hometown club Fakel. Her mother became her teammate, and they took turns sharing the captaincy. They had one strict rule: Sasha could not say “mom” on the ice, to keep things professional.

"It took some time to build a new teammate relationship. Sasha would sometimes call me "Ma" on the ice. First I was like a coach to her and gave her tips how to improve her passes. With time, it reversed, she started criticising my game as she grew in her skills and technique."

Exactly 20 years after the Salt Lake City Olympic Games, Lyubov will be watching her daughter compete against the USA women's hockey team at Beijing on Saturday (5 February), from her apartment in Chelyabinsk, after the ROC beat Switzerland 5-2 in their opener on Friday. She shared her emotions on a call with Olympics.com after that game.

"It was unbelievable to watch our girls beat the Swiss women. I was a bit concerned as they didn't have many trainings on Beijing ice due to COVID. The game with the US promises to be exciting."

And whereas the ROC team's chances of a win against favourites USA might not be high, Lyubov’s support for Sasha will be unconditional.

“I am very happy and proud. I was in the same situation as Sasha is right now. I am supporting her in every way. Competing at the Olympics is an incredible experience and achievement. It's an honour and a celebrating. There is so much time and effort invested in preparation for the big moment."

Vafina junior is grateful for the support,

"There is an endless list of people without whom I wouldn't be here. My mom, my coaches, my partners and my rivals. All these people who know me and help me find my place in life."

Despite competing under different flags at the Olympics, both women shared passion for the game.

"When I think about it, it turned out to be very strange that we both represented different countries at the Olympics," Sasha shared to us.

"But we shared our love and passion for the great game of hockey."

Read more: How to watch ice hockey at Beijing 2022