This Women’s History Month, I will be spotlighting women athletes and their achievements in college, after college, and beyond. Athletes are humans first and while I want to highlight their athletic ability and achievements, I also want to point a spotlight on what they are doing off their field of play.
There is no doubt Kendall Coyne Schofield, left wing for the United States Women’s Ice Hockey Team, is athletically talented. She has won two silvers and one gold at the Olympics and is a 6-time IIHF Women’s World Champion among numerous other on-ice accolades. In 2019, she became the first woman to compete in the NHL Skills Competition as a Fastest Skater competitor. She recorded a time of 14.346 and while she didn’t win, she didn’t come in last either.
The winner of the competition, Connor McDavid with a time of 13.378, said of Coyne Schofield, “When she took off I was like, ‘Wow!’ I thought she might have won, the way she was moving. She was a really good skater and it’s an amazing thing for the game when they can see her participate like that in an event like this.”
Her off-ice accomplishments stand-out as well. Coyne Schofield attended Northeastern University where she played ice hockey and graduated with her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, both summa cum laude.
In 2020, she parlayed her education and love of sport, and joined the ownership group of the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). That is not the only elite women’s sports entity in which she is involved. Her background in hockey led her to be the President and a board member of the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) where she helps further the PWHPA’s work to create a sustainable and viable professional women’s hockey league. She also competes in the PWHPA’s Dream Gap Tour on Team Adidas.
Recently, she penned a book, As Fast As Her, about her life and accomplishments which came out in 2022.
My autobiography, As Fast As Her, is out today! It is dedicated to my family, teammates, coaches, support staff, fans, and the next generation of barrier breakers.
I hope #AsFastAsHer inspires you to always follow your dreams and never give up. pic.twitter.com/vEqRyG26hM
— Kendall Coyne Schofield (@KendallCoyne) January 18, 2022
This month she announced on Instagram that she and her husband, Chicago Bears offensive guard Michael Schofield, are expecting their first child this summer.
Penny and Blue have something to share with you! pic.twitter.com/hw3lziRiwS
— Kendall Coyne Schofield (@KendallCoyne) March 1, 2023
And to cap it all off, she won the PWHPA’s Humanitarian Award for her work on and off the ice. Not only is she elite as an athlete, she continues to use her platform to change the game for other women in sport. We salute you Kendall and thank you for your tireless efforts both in and out of sport.
The winner of this year’s PWHPA Humanitarian Award is Kendall Coyne Schofield. A leader in her community both on and off the ice, as the PWHPA President Kendall works every day to build the game for women and girls in the US and beyond. pic.twitter.com/kwauOyV1sr
— PWHPA (@PWHPA) March 5, 2023
