George P. Vanier student Amy Hachey is in a league of her own when it comes to domination on the badminton court. And the Grade 9 junior high school student proved it in April after knocking off badminton’s most elite field of talented players at the zone championship in Spirit River in April en route to the gold medal. “It was a pretty good feeling coming home with the gold medal,” says a soft-spoken Hachey. Her climb to the top of the badminton ladder as the number one player in the zone was highlighted by a perfect 4-0 record at the zone championship. That unblemished record would ultimately put her in the final where she pulled off back-to-back wins of 20-16 and 22-20 for her first gold medal championship win. But it wasn’t easy. “I struggled for a while in the second set and was getting beat pretty bad before eventually turning things around with a few well-placed shots,” she says. Hachey, who picked up a badminton racket for the first time in Grade 7, credits her success to older brother, Alex (a 2007 G.P. Vanier graduate), who tutored her on the fundamentals of the game and the strategies involved on the court. “I really don’t think I would be in the position I am today without his help and support,” says Hachey, who also wishes to thank her coach, Dan Turcotte. Turcotte, meanwhile, says his role as Hachey’s coach was relatively easy given her level of talent and commitment towards the sport. “Amy is a student who is extremely dedicated to whatever she does, regardless of whether its school work or extracurricular activities such as badminton,” he says. “As a student she’s very teachable.” Hachey plans to continue playing the game in her senior high school years where she hopes to take that next big step up to the provincial championship. “I’d love to have the opportunity to represent our zone at provincials.”