By Maxine Giza

Donning a red, white and blue jersey while fans chant “U-S-A!” is a dream many children have, but for Franklin, Mass., native, Karen Thatcher, the dream became reality.

In her 10-year career with USA Hockey, which includes a silver medal at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Thatcher has made numerous contributions to the women’s national team. While her 70-game career represents a milestone difficult to fathom, her road to the world stage began at home.

Although Thatcher’s mom taught her to skate on figure skates, she also gave young Thatcher a hockey stick when she asked for one. By 5, Thatcher was playing hockey and developing the skills that would propel her to the elite level. Her parents, who Thatcher refers to as the “backbone” of her career, helped her reach her potential by driving to various rinks to find opportunities to skate and play hockey.

But when she was 7, something happened that made Thatcher sure she wanted to play hockey for the U.S.

“During my first season playing with the girls at Assabet Valley, Laurie Baker and other U.S. teammates came to visit our practice after they competed in the IIHF [International Ice Hockey Federation] World Championships,” recalled Thatcher. “They brought their medals with them, and I remember being in the locker room at Assabet and having them walk around to each of us to let us touch them and then taking a big group picture with them.”

After that encounter, the young Thatcher told her father she wanted to be a world champion, too. “My dad promised me that day that if I ever did, he would be there to watch, no matter where in the world it was.”

Thatcher’s father was true to his word when, in 2008, she represented team USA in Harbing, China, and brought back her first of two World Championship gold medals.

After her college career at Providence College and Brown University, Thatcher once again achieved something few can claim ~ she became a professional hockey player. Four of her six professional seasons were in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, with the remaining two in the Western Women’s Hockey League.

This past season, Thatcher helped the Boston Blades defeat the Montreal Stars to win the Clarkson Cup, the women’s equivalent of the NHL’s Stanley Cup. Unlike her male counterparts, being a professional hockey player doesn’t equate to a hefty paycheck, but still requires dedication in the gym and on the ice. The commitment, while difficult, has been one Thatcher says has been worthwhile.

“A typical day this year included a strength and conditioning session at 8:30 a.m. Sometimes, I would work from 5 a.m.- 8 a.m. before this, as well,” explained Thatcher. “After workout, it was home for a very quick lunch, shower and nap before heading back to one of my two part-time jobs in the afternoon. Then, it was practice at night at 8. It was a struggle to make ends meet and could be exhausting, but when you are passionate about something, it is more than worth it.”

With the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, just months away, Thatcher had to make a difficult decision. “I suffered a concussion in February ~ my third major concussion ~ that I am still suffering symptoms from,” she said. “Given my future aspirations, my family and I have decided that it is best for me to move on from playing hockey at this time.”

Only a sampling of Thatcher’s on-ice honors have been touched upon, but perhaps this star’s greatest achievement is actually realizing her childhood dream. That same keen foresight is bringing her life in a new direction. Next spring, Thatcher will attend Boston University’s Doctorate in Physical Therapy program.

Photos by Christopher Weigl.