Did it hinder my opportunities? People remember it. Did it hinder me in the memory of Canadians? No, but it put a bull's eye on me, as I was the face of water polo. I think about that. I was given that opportunity. I really wanted a chance to promote my sport, and I wanted people to know about water polo.
I brought that opportunity back to my team and asked them what they thought. I wouldn't have done it if they'd said no. I was part of a team, and when you pick out one player and highlight them, it can be problem. They said, “If there's any chance for water polo to get any publicity, that's great.” That's why I did it.
I was hoping to promote my sport as well as myself, an indigenous woman. I wanted people to know. It was 10 years after the Oka crisis, during which I was stabbed by a Canadian soldier. I wanted the world to know that number one, you can try to kill us but you can't, and that number two, I was one of the best athletes in the world in my sport. It was an opportunity for me as an indigenous person to highlight my people.