Name: Heather Moyse
Sport: Bobsleigh

Heather was born and raised in Summerside, PEI, and got her start in Summerside’s school system. She attended the University of Waterloo from 1996 – 2000, completing her Bachelor of Science in Honours Kinesiology. She was a member of the varsity soccer team for two years, varsity rugby team for two years and varsity track & field team for all four years. In rugby, Heather was Rookie of the Year, a two time All-Canadian and an integral part of a team that won the OUA Silver medal and the first ever CIAU Bronze medal for Waterloo. She was named to the CIAU Tournament All Star team. In track, Heather competed for four years at the CIAU’s and amassed 10 OUA medals and 2 CIAU bronze medals in her career. During the 2000 OUA championship, Heather lead the team to a third place medal and was named the OUA Track MVP. She also set five university track records, four of which are still standing. In 2002, she was inducted into the University of Waterloo Sports Hall of Fame.

During her undergraduate studies, Heather developed an interest in working with people with disabilities. She volunteered with a number of special needs students and coached Special Olympics soccer in Waterloo, directed Camp Gencheff in PEI, and obtained her certification in neurological testing and neuro-rehabilitation. In 2001, she was selected to serve as a Disability Sports Program Officer with Commonwealth Games Canada in Trinidad and Tobago. Heather established a camp for deaf and hearing-impaired children from across the Caribbean called Camp ABLE, which stands for Active Bodies, Leadership and Esteem. Heather remained in Trinidad and Tobago for two and a half years, working with the Paralympic Association of Trinidad and Tobago, Disabled Peoples International and the Trinidad and Tobago Rugby Union, for whom she set up a women’s rugby program.  Since returning to Canada she has continued to serve as a member at large of the board of Commonwealth Games Canada.

In 2004, Heather began a Master of Occupational Therapy degree at the University of Toronto. She used her final year of athletic eligibility to lead the Varsity Blues rugby team to the CIS national final and was named a first-team All-Canadian. In track, she also qualified for the CIS National Championships and was named a second-team All-Canadian. In August 2005, Heather’s studies were interrupted by an invitation to try out for the Canadian Olympic Bobsleigh team. Together with pilot Helen Upperton, Heather won the Canadian Championships, finished in 2nd-place on the World Cup circuit, and set push start records on five international tracks. Her bobsleigh season culminated in a 4th-place finish at the 2006 Olympics in Torino where she set another push-start record.

Heather has also represented Canada in fourteen international rugby matches as a member the National Senior Women’s team, and was the leading point-scorer in tries for the whole tournament, and the only Canadian selected on the All-Star team at the Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Sport PEI has honoured Heather as All Round Female Athlete of the Year (1998, 2000), Intercollegiate Athlete of the Year (2004) and Senior Female Athlete of the Year (2005, 2006), as well as with the Bill Halfpenny Award for outstanding international achievement (2005), and the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for PEI’s overall top athlete (2006).