Alayne Martell

“Back in 1998 I was working in a PR firm when a project came into the shop to assist with getting some exposure for Ringette Canada’s Summit Series being held in Europe. The project landed on my desk and almost 19 years later, and now working directly with Ringette Canada as their media and PR consultant, I’m still promoting this amazing sport. They say work doesn’t feel like work if you do something you love and this is absolutely the case for me. Without a doubt, the most rewarding part of my job is working with the athletes. Words cannot explain the feeling of being able to contribute and be part of the journey with these passionate women as they lay everything on the ice to reach their goals. From experiencing the excitement of victory to the agony of defeat, it’s hard to describe the raw emotion I’ve felt in rinks across Canada and overseas. My job also comes with challenges and one of the biggest is trying to convince mainstream media to take a closer look at ringette. I’ll never forget when CBC Sports covered the 2002 World Ringette Championship gold medal game live from Edmonton. Being able to get ringette in front of that many eyes was priceless. Now with social media and the ability to livestream events, we can get ringette in front of more people, which is a huge boost for the sport’s awareness. I will be the first to admit that there is nothing I could write that could come close to the impact that watching ringette live has on people. It has to be seen to be fully appreciated.” – Alayne Martell (St. Peter’s, Nova Scotia)