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
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.