Meaghan Mikkelson has always set impressive goals. But this one certainly  
  takes the cake.  
    
  Just over four months ago, Mikkelson was in the delivery room giving birth  
  to  
  her first son, Calder.  
    
  And last week, Mikkelson was on the ice in Etobicoke, Ontario with the best  
  female hockey players in Canada. She was one of 32 players at the national  
  women's team training camp, one of the final steps towards the 2016 IIHF Ice  
  Hockey Women's World Championship.  
    
  "With the delivery of a baby, all moms out there know that you can't really  
  have any expectations," says Mikkelson. "So going into it, I was just hoping  
  for a healthy labour and delivery. Once I had (Calder), I wanted to  
  re-evaluate things and see where my body was. A couple of weeks after I had  
  him, I was feeling really good. I talked to players like Becky Kellar and  
  Cheryl Pounder (former national team members), who both had kids and they  
  came  
  back and played again. I knew it was possible so it was always in the back  
  of  
  my mind.  
    
  "Those few weeks after, I set the goal for myself to be playing at the  
  beginning of January and be at camp this week."  
    
  Mission accomplished. At least Step 1, that being last week's camp.  
    
  Mikkelson started skating about six weeks after Calder was born. That was in  
  mid-November and Mikkelson says she started slow those first few skates, not  
  taking full strides and definitely not touching pucks.  
    
  As the process went on, she felt stronger and received full medical  
  clearance  
  to return to high-level hockey in late December. Mikkelson played her first  
  game on 2nd January with the Canadian Women Hockey League's Calgary  
  Inferno.  
    
  In Etobicoke she was one of nine defencemen trying to impress Hockey  
  Canada's  
  coaching staff and management, who will select the final roster for the  
  Women's Worlds that will be played on home ice in Kamloops, British  
  Columbia,  
  28 March to 4 April.  
    
  And how is it going so far?  
    
  "I actually feel stronger physically. I feel stronger than I did before I  
  had  
  him and I feel like my endurance came back extremely quickly," Mikkelson  
  says.  
  "They say that after having a baby... you can bounce back really quickly and  
  be stronger and better than before. I'm really feeling that. I feel great  
  out  
  there. My recovery time is a lot quicker because I have a lot higher blood  
  volume. I feel like I'm getting stronger and stronger every day."  
    
  Mikkelson has a great team behind her as she tries to crack Team Canada for  
  the world championships. That includes a great group of teammates on the ice  
  and those back home who are helping with Calder.  
    
  Mikkelson says her husband Scott Reid (head coach of the Inferno) travels  
  quite a bit for his career so both sets of parents help look after Calder,  
  especially when Meaghan is away from home like she is this week.  
    
  "We have my parents come in for a couple of weeks and then leave and then  
  his  
  parents come in for a couple of weeks and leave," says Mikkelson. "I rely  
  heavily on my parents and my in-laws to help us out. I couldn't be doing  
  this  
  without them. They know how badly I want to make this team. They're so  
  supportive and we're really fortunate."  
    
  If she does make Canada's roster, Mikkelson will no doubt be one of the team  
  leaders. She is a veteran of two OIympic Winter Games, helping Canada win  
  gold  
  in 2010 and 2014, and has played in five IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World  
  Championships.  
    
  She was also the third-oldest player at Canada's camp (or maybe the 30th  
  youngest!), behind only Hayley Wickenheiser (37) and Charline Labonte (33).  
    
  Mikkelson laughs about being called a vet.  
    
  "I don't feel like I'm 31. Labonte and I were talking in the dressing room  
  how  
  you come into the program and you're one of the young ones and you never  
  imagine that one day you're going to be one of the old players," she says.  
  "And now I'm sitting next to a 16-year-old (Amy) Potomak in the dressing  
  room  
  and realizing that I'm almost twice her age. It's kind of funny to think  
  about.  
    
  "But all the girls are great. They're very mature and we have a lot of fun.  
  I  
  hope that my experience, where I've been and what I've done, helps the  
  group.  
  That's the goal in the end is to be the best team we can be and win."  
    
  Regardless of what happens this week, Mikkelson will get to head home to  
  Calgary and be with husband Scott and baby Calder. That can't be beat.  
    
  "It's been incredible," says Mikkelson. "It really puts into perspective  
  what's important in your life. If I have a good day at the rink or a bad day  
  at the rink, I come home to that little face and that little guy. It makes  
  everything better."  
    
  CHRIS JUREWICZ  
    
  http://www.worldwomen2016.com/en/news/mikkelson-the-mom-returns/  
  --- SBBSecho 2.33-Win32  
   * Origin: TequilaMockingbird Online - Toms River, NJ (1:266/404)