At the age of three, Daria O'Neill (16) of Cochrane, originally from Carlyle and granddaughter of Ted and Paulette O'Neill, began taking power skating lessons. Quickly discovering a love and passion for being in the rink and playing hockey at this young age O'Neill's drive, talent, and determination has now led to media attention in Alberta, after she earned a spot on Team Alberta for the National Women's U18 Championship, indicating she may one day reach Olympian status.
O'Neill first began playing at a young age, influenced by watching the finesse of her family on the ice including her hockey hero, her cousin, Brenden Morrow.
"Growing up in Carlyle I was surrounded by hockey," Daria explained. "From watching my dad play to watching the town hockey hero Brenden Morrow play, I just really wanted to try it out."
Gravitating to the ice O'Neill didn't hesitate to lace up her skates and play with the boys.
"Being such a small community, there wasn't the option to play on a girls team so I started out with the boys and stuck with it up until about last year, my first real year of girls hockey."
These fun filled early years of playing are the reasons for her continued passion for being on the ice.
"I would go to school, then go straight to the rink and be with my buddies the entire time," she described. "I loved it. And I know looking back now that the reason I stuck with it is because of my first five or so years of hockey there were so amazing."
At the age of eight-years-old O'Neill moved to Edmonton with her family where her own prowess and talent for the sport really began to shine. Thus, her supportive family made the decision to move to Cochrane, giving O'Neill the opportunity to play for the Edge Mountaineers (http://edgemountaineers.com).
Now playing defence with the Edge School for Athletes she has continued to develop both her skill and love of the game. An incredible experience, O'Neill is flourishing in the competitive atmosphere of the Junior Women's Hockey League (JWHL) (http://www.jwhl.org).
"So far Edge has been an incredible experience," O'Neill explained. "We have world class facilities at our fingertips and the best coaching staff around. My teammates are second to none and I just couldn't picture myself playing anywhere else!"
As of Tuesday, Nov. 19, Edge sits first in the league overall with 14 points. Still early in the season O'Neill says there is hard work to come, but is sure they will continue to grow as a team and achieve great results: "We have so much potential and I know we will accomplish great things. This is just the beginning!"
In addition to playing with Edge, O'Neill recently helped make Team Alberta history through bringing home a bronze medal from the National Women's U18 Championship, which was held in Calgary at the Canada Olympic Park between Nov. 6 and 10. Team Alberta had never medaled before and the 16-year-old competitor was satisfied, knowing her team had worked hard.
"It was amazing to be part of such [a] significant moment in Team Alberta history," O'Neill stated. "We all worked so hard for that medal and it felt great to come out with some hardware."
The 16-year-old has high expectations for herself, so when attending tryouts for the U18 Team Alberta she was determined to show that she had the skill and work ethic on the ice to make a difference in the competition.
" I really, really wanted to make that team," O'Neill explained. "It's something I have wanted for a while. Going into tryouts I just told myself to work hard, be a leader, and play my game."
This is exactly what she did and it paid off. Making the team, though extremely exciting, came with a determination from O'Neill to perform because "the real work was just beginning." The national championship was ahead of the team and although the nervous-excitement of stepping on the ice with the best U18 girls across Canada, it was evident O'Neill believed in her team and their abilities as a collective.
"I knew the competition would be tough, but I also had a ton of confidence in my team," O'Neill said.
Having helped make Team Alberta history and continuing to perform with Edge, O'Neill is looking forward to continue working towards her goals of attending a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division 1 university and, her ultimate goal, to follow in her cousin's footsteps to put on the Team Canada jersey and showcase her talents at the Olympics.
"if I got the opportunity to represent my country one day that would be a dream come true," O'Neill explained.
Never getting ahead of herself, O'Neill explains there is still a long way for her to go to reach her dreams; but, with the support of family and her gritty determination the young athlete will continue to improve.
"A lot of hard work, practice, and support from all of my family members has helped me get to where I am today," O'Neill said. "However, I do still have a long way to go if I want to accomplish all of my goals."
Overall hockey has influenced O'Neill's life since the first moment she watched the game and would step on the ice. Hockey has given her something to strive towards while providing countless memories and numerous friendships that she describes as nothing less than lifelong.
O'Neill will make strides towards her goals in the next few years and will hopefully achieve them with her continued perseverance, determination, and hard work.
