Barrie's Kaili Lukan sets her sights on gold at the Tokyo Olympic games
All her life Kaili Lukan has followed in her sister Megan's footsteps, from her high school basketball and rugby days at Barrie Central Collegiate to an athletic scholarship in the U.S., and now the Olympic Games in Tokyo as a member of Canada's Women's Sevens team.
Lukan began her Olympic journey Wednesday in Tokyo, picking up where her older sister left off with a bronze medal result in rugby at the Rio games in 2016.
"I do send her messages every day leading up to this. She knows what to do. She's prepared for this," Megan said of her sister.
Steve Porter coached the basketball and rugby teams at Barrie Central Collegiate when Kaili and her sister attended.
"I'm absolutely thrilled... over the moon. It's pretty awesome. I can't wait to see how they do," said Porter.
"Between Megan and Kaili, it's a 1A, 1B as far as how tight we were. I spent a lot of time with Kaili in her senior year, so for me to see all the successes, she's had and be able to represent Canada, that's always been her dream," her former coach added.
Kaili earned a scholarship to play basketball for the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay. She represented Canada on the hardcourt before making the switch to play rugby in 2016.
Now a member of the Canadian Women's Rugby Sevens squad, Kaili is poised to strike gold on the biggest stage in sports with no fans in attendance due to COVID-19 restrictions in place in Japan.
Still, that's not stopping her family and friends from cheering her on from the homefront.
"Kaili's two sisters, Aliska and Megan, and myself had already planned to be in Tokyo for these Olympics, but now we've got a larger contingent who are supporting her from home," said her mother, Margaret Mulder.
"It's a dream come true. I had no idea that they would get to this level. She's followed in Megan's footsteps for many, many years, but she's definitely standing on her own two feet," her mom said.
Her sister Megan believes Kaili and her teammates have what it takes to top the world in Tokyo.
"Because by all means they're physically talented to be there and could easily walk away with any medal. I think what's going to be the difference-maker is their teamwork together," she said.
Following their opener against Brazil, Lukan and Team Canada play a doubleheader Thursday morning and evening against Fiji and France. Her family is crossing its collective fingers she'll be playing for gold on Saturday.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Monthly earnings rise, payroll employment falls: jobs report
The number of vacant jobs in Canada increased in February, while monthly payroll employment decreased in food services, manufacturing, and retail trade, among other sectors.
Doctors say capital gains tax changes will jeopardize their retirement. Is that true?
The Canadian Medical Association asserts the Liberals' proposed changes to capital gains taxation will put doctors' retirement savings in jeopardy, but some financial experts insist incorporated professionals are not as doomed as they say they are.
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
What do weight loss drugs mean for a diet industry built on eating less and exercising more?
Recent injected drugs like Wegovy and its predecessor, the diabetes medication Ozempic, are reshaping the health and fitness industries.
2 military horses that broke free and ran loose across London are in serious condition
Two military horses that bolted and ran miles through the streets of London after being spooked by construction noise and tossing their riders were in a serious condition and required operations, a British government official said Thursday.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.
He replaced Mickey Mantle. Now baseball's oldest living major leaguer is turning 100
The oldest living former major leaguer, Art Schallock turns 100 on Thursday and is being celebrated in the Bay Area and beyond as the milestone approaches.
What a urologist wants you to know about male infertility
When opposite sex couples are trying and failing to get pregnant, the attention often focuses on the woman. That’s not always the case.