With the Summer Olympics about to begin Yorkton This Week caught up with a couple of former Olympians from the area who happen to be marking the 25th anniversary of their appearance for Canada at the 1996 Games in Atlanta.
Lori-Ann Mundt from Yorkton and Kerrie Buchberger of Langenburg were both members of the Canadian Women’s’ Volleyball team.
Both remember being named to the team keenly.
“It was one of the proudest moments of my volleyball career as it was always a dream of mine to wear the Canadian Jersey,” said Mundt, who now lives Winnipeg, and works at Deer Lodge Centre which is the largest long-term care and rehabilitation centre in the province. “I never thought that I would get this opportunity because of my size. I remember telling my parents that I was going to do my best and try to help the team qualify for the Olympics in any way I could.”
“I remember going into the office to talk to the coaches to find out if I was staying or not,” Buchberger told Yorkton This Week. “It is hard to describe the feeling. Something that I wanted for so long was now coming true.
“And I was going to be playing with ladies that I had been looking up to for years. There were a lot of returning athletes on the ‘91 team hoping to try to qualify for the ‘92 Olympics so being able to be in the gym with them was surreal.”
It was certainly a long way from the school gyms where both fell in love with the game.
“I touched my first volleyball in Grade 6 in gym class (at Yorkdale School) and didn't think much of it,” recalled Mundt.
“I then tried out for the volleyball team in Grade 8 because some of my friends were and I made the team.
“I really didn't know much about the sport and when I was told I was going to be a setter I really didn't know what that meant but I was happy to be on the team. “
But the sport and her success in it soon made Mundt become serious about volleyball.
“I loved playing all sports whether it be individual sports or team sports,” she said. “I was exposed to more opportunities with volleyball. I played not only on the school teams but with the club teams, Provincial teams and Canada Games Team.
“I had some great coaches that created a very positive atmosphere to play in and learn in and that made me love playing the sport. It wasn't until I was graduating high school that I chose volleyball to be ‘the one’. I had a choice to play university volleyball or basketball and I chose volleyball because it was not as rough.”
It was much the same for Buchberger -- who now resides in Edmonton where she works for Pfizer -- being exposed to volleyball at a rather young age.
“There was a summer volleyball camp in Langenburg when I was 14,” she said “I decided to try it out and fell in love with it right away.
“One of the instructors there asked me if I thought of trying out for the Provincial team. I had no idea what he was talking about so I looked into it and went to the ID camp in Yorkton.
“I love the team aspect of Volleyball.
“Watching others make great plays, hitting, digging, blocking!
“Knowing that everyone on the court has to work together to get the job done, and then hanging out with all the girls after practice and on the road.”
From humble beginnings both ladies were soon on a path to the national team.
“What was your road to the national team? What year was your first?
I played with the Saskatchewan Provincial team for four years,” said Buchberger. “My last year was also my first year playing at UofR (University of Regina). I made the decision to go to Regina because the national team was based there. Because of that, I was lucky enough to have been picked up for a couple trips to Europe while I was still playing University Volleyball. From there I officially became a member of the Canadian team in 1991.”
Mundt made the team the same year.
Obviously the Olympics was a goal, and the pair remember the emotions of Canada qualifying for Atlanta.
“We hosted the tournament in Winnipeg at the University of Winnipeg,” said Mundt. “It was our last chance to qualify. Based on the teams that were attending the tournament we had a very good feeling that we were going to qualify because we had beaten all of the teams before.
“(But), we couldn't get too far ahead of ourselves and had to stay focused and play one game and one match at a time.
“We all stayed at a hotel so that we could keep to our bubble and stay focused. The gym was packed every night. Media was everywhere. Our families were all there watching us. They were decked out in their Canada gear.
“We played the Dominican Republic in the final and beat them 3-0. It was pretty amazing.
“I remember leaping off the bench and running onto the court. Everyone was hugging and crying. It was incredible. Hard to put into words. The fans were going crazy. 1996 balloons were dropped from the ceiling.
“I remember grabbing a Canadian flag and running around the court with the rest of the team following.
“Champagne was flowing. It was so crazy and so great. “
Buchberger too recalls it as if it were just yesterday, and not a quarter of a century ago.
“I remember it clearly, I can even tell you the last few plays that got us there,” she said. “We were playing in Winnipeg in front of our family and friends. I went back to serve for the match and Janice Kelly got the kill for the win.
“It was instant tears, joy, excitement, a lot of jumping around and hugs from everyone on the team!
“I’m not sure the reality sunk in until later that night when we got a chance to really sit back and understand everything that we just accomplished. We committed three years and gave up professional contracts in Europe for this very moment.”
Of course who was going to Atlanta was still to be decided.
“It wasn't until May 1st that we found out who was going to be on the Olympic team going to Atlanta,” said Mundt.” We had 13 players so one player was going to be cut. I remember sitting on the gym floor against the wall waiting to be called into the coach's office to find out if I was on the team or not.
“It was a very emotional day.
“When I found out I was going to be on the team it was such an incredible feeling, all of the sacrifices and hard work had paid off, but then to find out that a good buddy of mine was not going to be on the team was really hard. It was awful. It was an emotional rollercoaster kind of day.”
Then it was off to Atlanta and the Olympic experience that was so much more than playing some volleyball matches. The opening ceremonies, life in the athlete’s village and other distractions to deal with and to soak in.
“There were so many emotional moments and so many moments where I was beaming with pride,” said Mundt. “Walking into the Athlete's village for the first time was pretty amazing. One of the first things we did was attended the Canadian flag raising ceremony. This little ceremony was done for each country. We put on some of our Olympic gear and gathered in an area of the village where we sang our anthem and watched our flag being hung.
“Being in the village with so many incredible athletes was pretty awesome. I watched some of these athletes on TV at previous Olympic games and now I'm walking with them in the village – unbelievable!”
The opening ceremonies was another moment never to be forgotten.
“The Canadian Olympic committee hosted a Team Salute the night before the Opening Ceremonies for all of the Canadian athletes,” recalled Mundy. “This was awesome. Very well-known Canadian Olympians spoke. Celine Dion and David Foster were there along with other musicians.
“The most touching part was when they brought out the past Olympic flag bearers as far back as 1932. It brought tears to my eyes. They also announced who our flag bearer was going to be and it was Charmaine Crooks from athletics. “
“Walking into the Olympic stadium for the opening ceremonies was incredible,” said Buchberger. “Being part of the entire Canadian Olympic team, and seeing all the athletes surrounding you and knowing you were representing your country was such an honor. I have always loved putting on the red and white uniform and have felt pride and honour every time the Canadian national anthem was played.”
“The Opening Ceremonies was the moment I cherish the most,” echoed Mundt. “We had been sitting in the stadium beside the Olympic Stadium for several hours watching the Opening Ceremonies on the big screens waiting for the parade of athletes' moment. We had to walk through a tunnel to get to the stadium.
“As we got closer, we were told we were late and so we had to start running in our never worn high heeled shoes and long skirts. It was crazy.
“We had to climb this large ramp to enter the stadium and I remember getting to the top of the ramp and hearing the announcer say CANADA.
“It was the moment I had dreamed about my entire life. What would it be like walking into an Opening Ceremonies, representing your country, wearing that Canadian uniform. I was no longer dreaming it; I was living it.
“Part of me was crying and part of me was beaming with pride.
“It was a feeling like no other. Thousands of flashes were going off and then we walked down the ramp into the stadium. I had the biggest grin on my face that remained on my face for the entire Ceremony.
“Seeing Muhamad Ali light the caldron was pretty special too.”
Buchberger said you try to soak in as much of the experience as possible, but you have to perform too.
“I tried to take in as much of the Olympic experience as possible, but volleyball runs almost the entire Olympics so every day consisted of breakfast, practice, rest, and then heading off to play our match,” she said. “It wasn’t until the last few days that we really got a chance to take in the Olympic experience.”
“I loved the moments when we would sit with other Canadian athletes to cheer on the Canadian athletes competing,” said Mundt. “At times I had to pinch myself because I was sitting with athletes that I had watched on TV at previous Olympic Games and there I was sitting right beside them high fiving and cheering. It was so awesome. “
So what was it like playing volleyball on the biggest of stages?
“Once we started playing, it kind of felt like every other big tournament we were in. Your days were spent pretty much the same,” offered Buchberger.
And in the end the team missed its modest goal by just a smidge.
“Our goal was to finish in the top-eight, but knew that would be tough,” said Buchberger, adding they ended up ninth. “We did believe that we could of come away with a win against Germany to put us in the top-eight but lost that match. We finished the tournament with a win against Peru which was a positive for us.”
“We expected the tournament to be tough,” agreed Mundt. “This was the biggest tournament that we had ever played in. It was being viewed all over the world. This was the first time since 1976 that a Canadian women's volleyball team had competed in the Olympic Games.”
Here the two differ just a tad in terms of memory.
“Our team finished 10th (actually a tie for ninth with Japan),” said Mundt. “Our goal was to finish in the top-eight which was very realistic. In order for us to achieve this we needed to beat Germany but we lost to them 3-0. We played some of our worst volleyball in that match.
“When you work so hard and sacrifice so much and then you don't perform to the best of your ability at the biggest tournament of your life, yes it was very disappointing at the time. We did manage to win our last match against Peru 3-2 which was an accomplishment because it was the first ever volleyball match that a Canadian Women's volleyball team has ever one at an Olympic Games. “
So do the two former players think about that summer in Atlanta at times other than when hometown media searches them out?
“When I look back at the Olympics it's hard to believe it has been 25 years this year since we competed,” said Mundy. “I still get goosebumps and emotional during every Olympic Opening Ceremonies when Team Canada walks into the stadium. A wave of pride just runs through my body. It's indescribable. I am glued to the TV watching as much of the Games as possible. I love following the athletes and listening to their stories and their journeys. “
“The big thought is the honour of representing Canada and wearing the red and white,” said Buchberger. “I often talk to kids about the commitment and determination needed from the entire team to reach that goal. There were some times that we struggled individually and as a team but managed to push through and figure things out. It was never easy and that’s why it was such an amazing feeling to get there!
“The ladies on that team were incredible to play with and to be part of the team with.”
Mundt said it will always be a part of her that she cherishes.
“When I first started playing volleyball my mom told me to keep a journal so I have a lot of my volleyball career written down,” she said. “It's so much fun to look through those journals and read things that I had forgotten about. I have a library of video tapes and photo albums galore.
“Every so often I take a trip down memory lane and put in a video tape or flip through a photo album and I just shake my head and think how lucky I was to have had all of these experiences. I travelled all over the world and did so many amazing things.
“My family supported me throughout my entire career and I am grateful to have had some great coaches and players to play with. They all played a significant part in helping me achieve my dreams. It's incredible to read about all of the camps and training sessions and the number of hours I spent in the gym.
“There are so many great memories but there are also some difficult memories too. It was certainly not an easy journey but one I will always cherish and be grateful for. “
And volleyball, not surprisingly remains an interest for both.
“I have two daughters that play volleyball and the oldest has said from the time she was 5 that she wants to follow her mom and play in the Olympics,” said Buchberger.
“I still play and coach so am always talking to kids about both the physical and mental toughness you need if your plans are to play at an elite level. I honestly believe I was playing my best volleyball when I retired at the age of 30. Volleyball is a sport that takes a lot of time to be able to read and figure out the game.
“When you are young you have all the power and strength but as you get older you start playing smarter.”
And Buchberger will be watching the game on Tokyo.
“We are glued to the TV on Olympic years watching all the sports, cheering on the athletes in all sports! I told my daughters that I would try to take them to Paris to experience the Olympics in 2024.”
Mundt watches too.
“I do follow them as much as I can. I watched quite a few of their matches this spring when they competed at the 2021 FIVB Volleyball Nations League. They played some pretty incredible matches. It was fun watching them.,” she said.
Buchberger still plays too.
“I also am a certified Pilates instructor and a coach at Aspire Volleyball here in Edmonton. I had the pleasure of playing in a Women’s beach tournament last year with (daughter) Megan as my partner! I still play both indoor and beach volleyball. I still love the game and enjoy every minute I get to be out on the court! I think I will be one of those old ladies still trying to play which I’m completely fine with,” she said.
