The 2023 Canada Winter Games are underway, and an Oakville product will be in action on the first day of events.

Karly Vince is a part of Team Manitoba's ringette team. She says this is going to be the opportunity of a lifetime but notes there was a moment where she thought she'd have to back out.

"These last two weeks, I had been sick, so that was pretty hard," Vince explains. "I just was trying to get better because I knew it all would end well. Even if I didn't get to play, I'd support my teammates but I did get better, so I'll be playing with them out east."

Team Manitoba's ringette team has been in place since July, and Vince believes this has helped them build a ton of team chemistry ahead of this national tournament. She talks about how the team did in their tune-up matches.

"We had a tournament in Winnipeg where we didn't do very well, which was upsetting, especially in front of our home crowd," Vince continues. "We practiced really hard throughout November and December before going to Montreal in January. We had a very good tournament out there. Since then, we're expecting a good outcome."

The Canada Winter Games take place in Prince Edward Island this year, and Vince says she wants to enjoy her time on the East Coast as much as possible.

"Last summer, our tryouts were in Monkton but I didn't fly out there with the team. I went through Halifax. So, I did get to experience a little bit of the coast but I've never been to PEI. I'm excited to see what they have out there and what type of tourist attractions I can see."

Team Manitoba is one of the younger teams at the games, according to Vince. They will open up the round-robin portion of the tournament on Sunday against Quebec.

"That's the goal, to win it all. We're a hard pool, so hopefully, we can end up in a good position. I have expectations for my team."

Vince and Team Manitoba will play three round-robin contests against Quebec, New Brunswick, and Alberta. The playoff rounds begin on Thursday.

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