lyndsey fry
gpp welcomes U.s. women's hockey player, Olympic silver medalist and Harvard graduate to the greater purpose project school superheroes tour
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Lyndsey Fry and GPP Founder, Lauren Burgoyne rocking their green #GPP wristbands!
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Lyndsey Fry may have grown up in the Valley of the Sun but she spent her childhood on the ice. As a girl hockey player hailing from a hot weather climate, Lyndsey couldn’t survive on talent alone. The Olympian’s positive attitude and moxie became equally important parts of her uniform. After all, Lyndsey spent years playing on an all-boys team. Correction. She didn’t just play on an all-boys team she was voted captain three years in a row by her male teammates. Leadership went hand in hand with her hockey stick as she captained four teams while playing in the Chandler Polar Bear youth system, as a younger player.
Lyndsey quickly moved up the ranks and eventually to Colorado to compete at a higher level. While there, she won gold and silver medals at the International Ice Hockey Federation U18 Women’s World Championships in 2009 and 2010. When Lyndsey moved to Colorado as a teen, she was “adopted” by her fellow Colorado teammate and best friend, Liz Turgeon and her family. Liz’s dad, former NHL Player, Pierre Turgeon was the girls’ hockey coach. Liz and Lyndsey were like sisters and shared a bond that was untouchable on and off the ice. After the two played their last game together; they made a promise soaked in tears. They vowed that one day they would suit up together in red, white and blue on the U.S. Women’s Hockey Team.
Fast forward several months and Lyndsey’s Olympic dream was on track to have the makings of a Disney movie, The Mighty Ducks 4, perhaps? She had graduated Valedictorian of her senior class at Phoenix Connections Academy and was attending Harvard University as a freshmen but everything changed during winter break. Lyndsey’s best friend, teammate and surrogate sister, Liz was killed in a car accident.
This devastating loss crushed Lyndsey, who at one point didn’t think she would play hockey again. But like everyone faced with tragedy Lyndsey had two options:
A. Surrender
B. Survive
Like all GPP Heroes, Lyndsey decided those options weren’t good enough, so she invented option C:
C. Turn your pain into a catalyst for greatness
It wasn’t easy. Her pain did not disappear. But the promise the girls made to play on Team USA together, overshadowed her fear and sadness. That promise catapulted a Greater Purpose that Lyndsey achieved. She competed in the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014, and brought Liz’s jersey with her. Lyndsey carried out the best friend pact and has the silver medal to prove it.
Lyndsey quickly moved up the ranks and eventually to Colorado to compete at a higher level. While there, she won gold and silver medals at the International Ice Hockey Federation U18 Women’s World Championships in 2009 and 2010. When Lyndsey moved to Colorado as a teen, she was “adopted” by her fellow Colorado teammate and best friend, Liz Turgeon and her family. Liz’s dad, former NHL Player, Pierre Turgeon was the girls’ hockey coach. Liz and Lyndsey were like sisters and shared a bond that was untouchable on and off the ice. After the two played their last game together; they made a promise soaked in tears. They vowed that one day they would suit up together in red, white and blue on the U.S. Women’s Hockey Team.
Fast forward several months and Lyndsey’s Olympic dream was on track to have the makings of a Disney movie, The Mighty Ducks 4, perhaps? She had graduated Valedictorian of her senior class at Phoenix Connections Academy and was attending Harvard University as a freshmen but everything changed during winter break. Lyndsey’s best friend, teammate and surrogate sister, Liz was killed in a car accident.
This devastating loss crushed Lyndsey, who at one point didn’t think she would play hockey again. But like everyone faced with tragedy Lyndsey had two options:
A. Surrender
B. Survive
Like all GPP Heroes, Lyndsey decided those options weren’t good enough, so she invented option C:
C. Turn your pain into a catalyst for greatness
It wasn’t easy. Her pain did not disappear. But the promise the girls made to play on Team USA together, overshadowed her fear and sadness. That promise catapulted a Greater Purpose that Lyndsey achieved. She competed in the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014, and brought Liz’s jersey with her. Lyndsey carried out the best friend pact and has the silver medal to prove it.
