Excalibur Athlete in the Running for National Grant Recognizing Stand-Out Female Athletes
Meet a Trent Student: Hannah Cahill
Hannah Cahill would say that rugby is not just simply a game that she plays, but a part of who she is. It’s her passion for the game that has put her in the running for one of the Dairy Farmers of Canada Champion Her grants which will support standout female athletes across Canada.
Ms. Cahill says that she is devoted to the game and her teammates on the Trent Excalibur women’s rugby team that she refers to as her family.
“Being an Excalibur athlete has provided me with 30 teammates who became instant friends,” says Ms. Cahill. “It’s given me a community to belong to as both a Trent rugby player and a Trent athlete and something to look forward to each day.”
It’s this passion for community that led this fourth-year Forensic Studies and Psychology student to the sport of rugby. Ms. Cahill reflects on her days playing other sports and competitively dancing, but knew that she was looking for a team to be a part of and found what she was looking for in a sport that she always watched with her brother and father.
“You cannot win on your own. It takes every person to work together and work alongside each other as a cohesive unit,” says Ms. Cahill about her heart for the game. “My passion grew from that community.”
Ms. Cahill now tries to instill this sense of community throughout the Trent University. This summer, Ms. Cahill is working as a summer colleges ambassador at Gzowski College, where she uses her passion to foster community through spending time to answer questions about student life at Trent. She also serves as an Orientation Week leader with the Athletics team, representing off-campus students on the Gzowski College Cabinet, sits on the Athletics Council and works with the athletics staff.
It’s a lot to balance, but Ms. Cahill says it is through her time as both a student and an athlete that she has learned the valuable life skill of time management. An ability she feels will be of benefit to her in the future.
“I have learned to prioritize, when to commit myself and when it’s okay to ask for help,” she says. “All of which are skills that can be taken forward into work experience and personal experience following my time at Trent.”
For Ms. Cahill, the lessons learned on the field with her Excalibur family will also be memories and experiences she will cherish for a lifetime. She looks back to the hard-fought battles on the field her and her teammates have won fondly, knowing those times will be experiences that she will always treasure about her time at Trent.
“I have met countless friends, coaches and mentors who have taught me to never give up, lose humbly and always work harder in any aspect of life,” says Ms. Cahill.
Voting is now open for the ChampionHer grant, and you can vote for Ms. Cahill by visiting her online profile on the Champions Fund webpage.
Trent University prides itself on providing an outstanding personal and interactive learning environment. This story is part of the Meet a Trent Student series, which highlights our many student success stories and the numerous dynamic programs offered at Trent.