Teen athlete wins second gold medal in a year

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At 15, Gillian Pash Smoke has accomplished one major goal - to win two gold medals in both of her favorite sports, hockey and fastball.

Pash Smoke just added her second national gold medal to her collection Aug. 3, at the North American Indigenous Games in Winnipeg. Pash Smoke, a pitcher for the Midget Girls Ontario Fastball Team, helped to lead her team to victory when she hurled three games out of five, including a no-hitter against Alberta in the semi-finals.

Kelly Doolittle, Team Ontario's coach, first saw Pash Smoke play for the Kanata Pirates, and asked her to try out for Team Ontario. Doolittle said, "Gillian's skills have been developed well, and for that I credit her dad, Steve. He really spends a lot of time with her."

Steve Pash said, "I'm her personal trainer, coach, and cabbie." He said they practice pitching on their own. He gives her tips on how to face the batter and what kind of ball to throw. "She's getting pretty good with the different pitches. She's got a real nice drop ball and curve ball. She can go either way on the plate with a curve ball, and the change up is pretty good. Now she's working on a killer rise ball. We'll get that down by the end of this summer."

Pash Smoke also played defence with the Junior Girls, Team Ontario, when they won the gold in the first National Aboriginal Hockey Championships, in Akwesasne this year.

Pash Smoke's future goal? "To do the same at the Olympic games, just like Hailey Wickenheiser (her idol)."

Pash Smoke has been playing organized hockey for 10 years, and ball for eight. She resides in Orleans and is a member of Alderville First Nation.