Krempien gets call to the hall
(Taken from the March 13, 2009 Saint City News)
By PHILLIP WOOLGAR
Saint City News		    

One of St. Albert's prized athletes, Jennifer Krempien, joined the ranks of some of the world's greats on Tuesday, March 3, as it was announced she wouldJ Krempien be inducted into the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.

After being awarded the key to St. Albert less than two months ago, the 33-year-old wheelchair basketball all star will now be alongside athletes like Mark Messier and Kurt Browning in Alberta's famous hall.

Krempien was recognized for her achievements both on and off the court.

"I was really shocked to hear that I was being entered," she said. "When I got the call, they didn't really specifically say why I was entered, but I think it was a combination of both (on and off court activities)."

Krempien was a regular speaker who motivated children to shoot for their goals.

"This honour is right up there (with all her achievements)," Krempien said. "To be three with those great athletes (in the Hall) is so amazing."

When Krempien was five years old, she started to lose the mobility of her legs from a rare blood cell condition called arteriovenousmalformation (AVM). But that didn't affect her spirit, she said; instead, she used the condition to propel her wheelchair basketball career.

When she was nine years old, she joined her first team.

Later, Krempien would appear in the Paralympics five times, winning three gold medals and one bronze, with a fifth-place finish last year in Beijing, China. She became the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball Association's athlete of the year.

After the Games, however, Krempien retired, saying she knew in her heart that Beijing would be her last because her body was hurting.

"I'm just a recreational athlete now," she said. "I do some rowing, basketball. It's active living. I'm still going to play with the Edmonton Inferno (wheelchair basketball team). I'm still going to the national (competition)."

In the meantime, though, Krempien said she is enjoying being able to relax in the evenings.

"I'm thrilled to be retired," she said. "I've never been more at peace with a decision."

Krempien is working toward her master's degree in human nutrition at the University of British Columbia, before continuing work as a dietitian in the Multi-organ transplant clinic at B.C.'s Children's Hospital in Vancouver.

Krempien said retirement is a change from training 20 to 30 hours per week.

She graduated from Paul Kane High School, and moved to Vancouver in 2000.

St. Albert city councllor Gareth Jones nominated Krempien. He said, after his involvement with the Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation, he became familiar with the criteria for induction.

"Number one, she fits the criteria perfectly," he said. "She's been faithful to Alberta even though she has moved to Surrey. She was still coming back to Alberta to play for the Inferno and she's still on the (Alberta Wheelchair Basketball) board."

Jones said he has been a friend of Krempien's family since the star was a child.

"She is quite a remarkable leader, both on the court and off the court," he said. "She's done a lot to promote the sport."

Other athletes who will be inducted on May 29 include Duff Gibson, skeleton; Heather McDermid, rowing; Scotty "Bulldog" Olson, boxing; Larry Robinson, football; Victory (Vic) Stasiuk, hockey; Jack Daines, rodeo builder; J. Wilton (Willie) Littlechild, multisport builder; David Williams, multisport builder; and Doug McKenzie, hockey builder.

The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame is located in Red Deer.
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