Multifaceted Lena Schroeder sets sight on space

Lena Schroeder is out of this world. 

That sentence could become literal in a few years’ time.

The Norwegian is the only athlete competing at the 2023 Para Ice Hockey Women’s World Challenge who has played at the Paralympics — and only one of three women to do so in history — and is now aspiring to be the first person with a disability to go to space.

“Of all things now, I’m an astronaut candidate in Norway,” said Schroeder, who was recruited by her country’s Next Step Space programme to join a crew that would study accessibility in space. “Hopefully I could possibly be the first person with a disability to go to space. I first have to prepare and go through a lot of tests to get cleared medically, though.”

Schroeder is already a Paralympian, a doctor who served on the front lines in a hospital outside Oslo during the COVID-19 pandemic, and as of last October a mother to a baby boy, Alex. She recently celebrated her 10-year anniversary of being with her partner, four-time Paralympian Morten Vaernes.

Easily identifiable by her bushy blonde hair and wide-eyed smile, she has been emitting a celebrity-like presence this week as she makes her way around the Cornerstone Community Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. 

Schroeder, who has been playing Para ice hockey since 2008, scored both of Team World’s goals in their 4-2 loss against Canada on Friday (1 September) in a game that was much closer than the scoreboard made it appear. 

Her presence on the ice was unparalleled — as impactful on the ice as off it — and she now leads all skaters at the Women’s World Challenge with four goals. 

“She doesn’t even need a coach she plays so well by herself,” joked Espen Hegde, Team World’s head coach who has worked with Schroeder for a decade as Norway’s Para Ice Hockey Sports Chief and previous national team head coach. “She’s amazing. She had about 15 or 20 hits today, two goals, and was up and down the ice all game. Being a captain is in her nature. She cares for others and is very helpful, sitting down with other athletes to watch video of games.”

Gracious and compassionate, Schroeder has made a point in Green Bay to mentor the next generation of women who will help usher the sport into the Paralympics one day.

“I try to mentor others and give them a few tips about things like sharpening their skates and taking care of their equipment,” she said. “I’m seeing this sport grow year by year; this has been a long time coming. It takes a long time to grow a sport in general, and even mores on the women’s side. I’m excited to know that now we can actually get to a World Championships and Paralympics.”

Despite Schroeder’s efforts for Team World, Canada still managed to come out on top with their first victory in Green Bay. 

In a tight first period, Canadian forward Aubree Clements opened the scoring at the 7:17 mark, assisted by Raphaelle Tousignant, who earlier this year played at the World Championships A-Pool. Canada let loose in the second stanza, with Tousignant and Alyssa White scoring 18 seconds apart to increase their team’s lead to three. Both of Schroeder’s scores, including a breakaway goal on the power play, came in the third period. But Tousginant added an insurance goal for Canada with 54 seconds left in the game to give her team the win.

Clements was named Player of the Game for Canada.

“We all want to get to the Paralympics, so seeing so many countries here is awesome,” Clements said. “I’m going to go back home and encourage any girl I see to join, whether it’s club hockey or whatever, anything we can do to get more girls to play.”

USA thrash Great Britain 7-0

Later in the day, USA stayed undefeated in Green Bay with a 7-0 shut out of Great Britain as six different Americans scored.  

Kaden Herchenroether scored twice in the first period, and Catherine Faherty and Brianna Atkins tallied goals as well. Madeleine Gallagher and Jamie Benassi both found the net in the second stanza, and Monica Quimby closed it out with a score with 52 seconds remaining in the third. 

“I was vibrating with excitement it felt so good,” Herchenroether said. “It’s very different scoring goals on my club team versus the national team, and it’s very exciting to share this experience with my U.S. teammates.”

Hope Magelky and Hope Bevilhymer combined for the shutout between the pipes for the U.S., while Susi Rogers-Hartley and Nicole Jodi Hill and combined for 15 saves for Great Britain. 

Competition in Green Bay will continue on Saturday (2 September) with Canada playing against Great Britain at 15:00 local time followed by USA against Team World at 18:30.

Citi is the presenting sponsor of the event as part of the IPC’s PARA SPORT grassroots to high performance programme. The ultimate goal is to expand female participation in Para ice hockey worldwide and one day add it to the Paralympic Winter Games programme.

The second edition of the Women's World Challenge is being streamed live on the Green Bay 2023 website and World Para Ice Hockey Facebook page. More information and complete schedule and results can be found here.