Amanda OVERLAND

The youngest of three Olympic siblings (sister Cindy competed in 1998 and 2002 and brother Kevin won bronze in 1998), Amanda Overland began skating at the age of four, influenced by the athletic pursuits of her family (her father had also been a coach for 25 years). She was already discovering national success at short track speed skating in the late 1990s and won her first major international medal in 2003, silver in the 3,000m relay at that year’s World Championships, a year after joining the national team. She won her first individual medals at the World Cup during the 2004-2005 season, which helped earn her the distinction of being named Speed Skating Canada’s 2005 Short Track Athlete of the Year. She qualified for the 1,000m, 1,500m, and 3,000m relay events at the 2006 Winter Olympics and placed fifth in both of the individual competitions. She took home silver in the relay, however, and, a year later, bronze in the same event at the 2007 World Championships. She encountered hardships beginning in 2007-2008, when she missed the entire season due to hip surgery. Shortly after her return to the sport, her mother was diagnosed with lung cancer, but she continued to press on in the hopes of making the Canadian Team for the 2010 Winter Olympics. In September 2009, however, she was cut from a regular spot on the team.