When Becky Kellar '97 was on the women's ice hockey team in the mid-1990s, she was "extremely superstitious," according to Head Coach Digit Murphy. Kellar wore the same pair of "bright green neon socks" during all of her games and most likely did not wash them for "the entire four years," Murphy said. He said the socks were meant to bring good luck to Kellar and the team, helping them perform well in their games.
Although Kellar no longer wears these socks, it seems that they definitely worked. This past February, Kellar was part of the Canadian Olympic women's ice hockey team's third straight gold medal win, defeating the United States 2–0 in the gold medal final.
A four-time Olympian, Kellar first competed in the 1998 games in Nagano, Japan, where the team won the silver medal. Her success continued in the Salt Lake City and Torino games of 2002 and 2006, where her team won gold both times.
Kellar's journey to the Olympics began during her senior year at Brown, when she submitted an application for one of the eight available spots on the Canadian team. She attended one of the three camps being held across the country, and soon afterwards, she learned that she had been selected to join the national team.
"It was pretty amazing to have made the team, especially since it was the first time women's hockey had been added to the games," Kellar said. Participating in the Olympics "was something I always wanted to do but never knew I could achieve."
Kellar said her interest in the sport came from playing ringette — a game similar to hockey — as a child, before she turned to hockey at the age of 12. "I was always interested in the sport — my brother played, my father was a fan and as you know, it's a very big sport up here."
She excelled in her sport, becoming what Murphy describes as a "phenomenally fluid skater." As one of the top players in Ontario, Kellar was recruited by the Brown women's ice hockey team and during her recruiting trip, Kellar fell in love with Brown's campus. "It seemed like something that was the right fit," she said.
Kellar said playing for the hockey team at Brown was a very enriching experience.
"It was an opportunity to play hockey every day which I wouldn't have gotten had I stayed home," she said. "Being on a team where you're together for that much time really teaches you about being a good teammate and what it takes to be successful."
At an orientation event for freshman athletes, Kellar met Katie King '97, a fellow hockey player who would end up becoming one of her close friends. King recounted the story of her first meeting with Kellar: "My mom said, ‘You're going to become very good friends with her,' and I just told her, ‘I have no idea what you're talking about.' But it turns out she was right."
King, the current head coach for the women's ice hockey team at Boston College, is also a former Olympian. A member of the American team in the 1998, 2002, and 2006 games, she has had the opportunity to go up against her friend on many occasions. The highly competitive nature of the Olympics, however, has not changed their friendship.
"On the ice, it's completely different. You're playing for your country and trying to win," King said. "But it's always interesting to be in that situation and then after the game, you just talk about it together."
Aside from her athletic abilities, Murphy said Kellar was highly motivated. Back in the mid-1990s, the Winter Olympics were not as popular and accepted as they are now, Murphy said.
"At the time, we were pioneers," she said. "But now, people know about the Olympics, about being on TV."
But love of the game was more important to Kellar than fame, Murphy said.
"As a generation, kids can say, ‘I want that.' But Becky didn't have that — she did it because she loved it," she said.
Murphy went on to add that as a defensive player, Kellar "didn't get the credit she deserved" since she wasn't the one putting up the big numbers and scoring goals.
However, "she has been an incredibly important component on every team she's been on," Murphy said. "She didn't need the awards and accolades."
While at Brown, Kellar was a psychology concentrator and also played for the softball team. Juggling these multiple commitments was great practice for juggling her athletic career, education and other aspects of her life, Kellar said. In October 2004, her first of two sons was born. With the Olympics just 16 months away, she said it was "difficult to adjust."
"It was a lot harder than when I only had to worry about myself. The biggest thing is that you're used to just walking out the door when you need to get somewhere but when you have kids, there's a constant juggle," she said.
Murphy praised Kellar for this ability to effectively integrate her athletic and family lives, and said that her success will encourage other women to follow their aspirations. "The way that she has managed to achieve being a mom and professional athlete helps role model that behavior for future generations of females," she said.
Although Kellar said she will not compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics, she will continue playing for the Burlington Barracudas, a team in the Canadian Women's Hockey League. "I will always play for fun, regardless of what the level is," she said. "But my next big focus is the boys and their endeavors."
