Prague, Czech Republic, May 21, 2015 - FIVB Beach Volleyball U23 World Championship bronze medalist Taylor Pischke proved that Canada is not just all about ice hockey and tells how she wants to follow her father’s huge footsteps on the road to Rio.
Canada - the land of gorgeous lakes, big rivers and pristine forests; the second biggest country in the world is famous for its breath-taking landscapes - and without a doubt the big passion for sports, most of all for ice hockey. Yes, they really are. "There are important sports in Canada - our own football, lacrosse - but nothing does compete with hockey,” Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper once said - and the euphoria in Canada gold medal at the Ice Hockey World Championship last week proved him right.
But there’s more in Canada than just ice hockey - Beach Volleyball youngster Pischke is the living example. The 22-years-old Winnipegger is part of the young and ambitious Canada Beach Volleyball national team - but knows that the majority of the Canadians can’t believe that there’s professional Beach Volleyball in their home country. “People are always confused when I tell them that I’m a professional Beach Volleyball player - maybe because it snows ten months per year in Canada; nevertheless, I think Beach Volleyball is growing in my home country. Jamie’s and Kristina’s gold medal at the Fuzhou Open were the next big step for Canada’s Beach Volleyball,” Pischke tells.
Pischke would like to bring Beach Volleyball to her home country Canada. “We once had a tournament in Quebec, but there’s no FIVB World Tour in Canada at this moment," she said. "I think that we could need a new one to help Beach Volleyball grow in Canada - I’m sure Canadians would fall in love with this great sport if they could experience it at first hand.”
Pischke herself literally grew up on a Volleyball court. “My dad actually played at two Olympic Games for the Canadian indoor national team. So I’ve always been around Volleyball,” she says. Counter-intuitively, however, the Winnipegger didn’t start her sports career in Volleyball. “I wasn’t really pressured into it, so I started with rhythmic gymnastics at a young age - but when I grew older I just wanted to play Beach Volleyball.”
Despite father Garth Pischke’s huge milestones, among others two appearances at the Olympic Games as player and the breath-taking number of 1200 victories as coach in Canadian College Volleyball, Taylor is sure that she has not to handle extra pressure. “My dad always helps me out with his huge Volleyball knowledge. That’s just a big advantage for me since he knows so much about Volleyball,” Taylor explains.
The 22-years-old Winnipegger is keen to follow her father’s huge footsteps. “Initially, Melissa and I wanted to focus on the Olympics in 2020, but after our huge breakthrough last year our goals have shifted. We are now trying to qualify for Rio - the birthplace of Beach Volleyball. That’s our big dream.”