Hannah Jardine was just 14 years old when she turned heads on the hardwood at the 2009 Canada Summer Games in PEI.

Her 59 rebounds in just five games set a new record for a single player in one tournament, helping Team NL to an impressive sixth place finish – their second best placement ever in female basketball at a Canada Games.

The secret to her personal accolades and the team success that followed? Simply a little bit of self-belief according to Jardine.

“We didn't let the barriers of where we lived or where we came from stop us when we went to the Canada Games”, said Jardine. “We just went out, played as hard as we could, and we didn't set any limitations for ourselves.”

“It's really important to just set goals for yourself and just work as hard as you can to accomplish them and not let anything get in your way. You can honestly accomplish anything you want if you just put in the time and effort.”

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It was that standout performance at the Games that propelled Jardine’s basketball career as she quickly earned the chance to represent Team Canada at both the U15 & U16 level before eventually securing a scholarship at the University of Delaware.

After four successful years on the court with the Blue Hens, all while earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Jardine returned to her home province of Newfoundland and Labrador to study Medicine at Memorial University.

Life after her collegiate career presented very little downtime for Jardine. Despite this, when the opportunity to join Team NL’s coaching staff for the 2022 Niagara Summer Games arose, it was a full circle moment she simply couldn’t pass on.

“It was really exciting for me. When I came back, I really wanted to get into coaching again…I really wanted those girls to have the same positive experience that I had when I was there because it’s just such a positive memory for me when I look back on it.”

Jardine gives credit to coaches across the province today for their efforts in finding new ways to gain exposure for their players by travelling to more tournaments across the country and expanding the age groups that offer local programming within the female game.

While these measures are a crucial step in ensuring more NL basketball players make that next step, ultimately it’s up to the athletes to seize these opportunities in the eyes of Jardine.

“I really just encourage girls here, especially when I'm coaching, if you want to do something, just set the goal and go do it. There's nothing stopping you and you will find the exposure and ways to get there.”