Krempien seeks Paralympic redempetion
(taken from the February 24, 2007 St. Albert Gazette)    

Canadian wheelchair basketball player Jennifer Krempien was named the most valuable player at the inaugural Friendship Games Osaka Cup in Japan.

"I was very honoured to be awarded my first MVP award," said Krempien, a national team veteran since 1992.

"My goals going into the tournament were to improve my shooting stats, continue to work on playing point guard and provide leadership on the floor."

In the final last Saturday against Australia, the St. Albert athlete sank her first three-pointer in international competition. The key basket with time running out on the shot clock squashed any hopes of a comeback by the Aussies.

Canada went on to win 66-41. It was 18-9 after the first quarter, 34-20 at halftime and 55-33 after three quarters.Jennifer Krempien

Krempien, 32, also hit a field goal in the second quarter.

Her best performance offensively in the four-team draw was eight points in the 57-39 victory against the United States.

"It was a breakthrough game for myself. I scored eight points by taking advantage of their help defence."

Canada also beat Japan 63-41 and the Aussies 63-34 in the round robin.

Two of the five all-star selections at the Osaka Cup included national team players Misty Thomas and Chantal Benoit.

"It was our first team action since the Gold Cup. The games went really well," said Krempien, an all-star team selection at guard at the 1998 and 2002 Gold cups.

At the Gold Cup last July in Holland, Canada won its fourth consecutive world championship. Previous victories were celebrated in 1994 in England, 1998 in Australia and 2002 in Japan with Krempien in the lineup.

The 2006 final marked the fourth Gold Cup triumph by Canada against the United States. It was sweet revenge after the Americans upset the defending three-time Paralympic Games gold medallists 57-40 in the semifinals of the 2004 Paralympics in Athens. Canada took home the bronze.

Canada had been ranked No.1 in the world following its 1992 Paralympic conquest.

"Our focus right now is the 2008 paralympics in Beijing, China," said Krempien, who will be attending her fifth Paralympics.

"We have a busy season coming up, In June we're travelling to Australia for exhibition games against Australia, Germany and Japan. We're also planning on a site visit and exchange with the team from China in June. There is also a qualification tournament in August in Rio as part of the ParaPanamerican Games."

The domestic season is also in full swing for Krempien, a member of the Edmonton Inferno, the three-time defending Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League champions (CWBL). The Inferno will participate in tournaments in Calgary and Edmonton leading up to the CWBL finals in Winnipeg during the May long weekend. the Paul Kane High School alumnus was selected to the CWBL all-star team in 1993, 1995, 1997, 2004 and 2005.

Krempien lives in Richmond, B.C. When she is not working on her masters' thesis she is a dietician at British Columbia's Children's Hospital.
hansen@stalbert.greatwest.ca
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