There are few athletes in the world who define their respective sport; Michael Jordan,  Lance Armstrong, and  Tiger Woods come to mind.  Cammi Granato IS women's ice hockey.

Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago as the youngest of four hockey playing siblings Cammi was playing organized hockey in kindergarten.  At the time, women's ice hockey didn't exist, so she played with the boys through high school, going on to not only pioneer the women's side of the sport, but to become, and remain, the best ever on blades.  A scholarship to hockey powerhouse Providence College honed her skills, where she went on to become the school's all-time leading scorer (139 goals in 99 games).

In 1990 Cammi became one of the inaugural members of Team USA and is the only player in history to have maintained her spot on the team ever since - she's also Team USA's all-time leading scorer!  In 1998, she captained the American team through the Olympics Games in Nagano, Japan and won the Olympic Gold Medal.  She was then elected by the entire US Olympic Team to carry the American flag at the closing ceremonies.

Cammi's first trip to the Olympic games set off an explosion of female hockey programs in the USA and launched her into the spotlight, making her one of the most recognizable female athletes in the world.   Her picture on the Wheaties box, her first book (pictured above), broadcasting for the NHL, and the annual Cammi Granato Gold Medal Hockey Clinic for Girls all followed.  She is the first , and only, female position player to ever be invited to an NHL try-out camp (NY Islanders).

From '98 through 2002 Cammi continued to lead Team USA through international and world championship competition becoming one of the most potent goal scorers of all time.  It was during the Opening Ceremonies of the Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games that Cammi experienced the honor of a  life time...she was selected to carry the torch up the stadium steps to the Olympic Cauldron, while billions of people from around the world looked on (see below).  It was in Salt Lake that she captured her second Olympic medal, this time silver.   Unsatisfied with second place and still as passionate as every about hockey, Cammi has committed to playing through the 2006 Olympic Games were she looks forward to another shot at gold.

In April of 2005, less than 300 days to the beginning of the Olympics, Cammi led Team USA to their first ever World Championship victory, defeating archrival Team Canada.  The stage has now been set for a dramatic rematch at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy.