Milton Walk of Fame Ceremony! Left to right: Milton Mayor Gordon Krants, myself, Conservative Party deputy leader and Member of Parliament for Ontario, Milton, Lisa Raitt and Legislative Assembly of Ontario member Parm Gill.
On Saturday February 23rd I was inducted into the town of Milton’s Walk of Fame along with eight others.
It is with a great sense of pride and honor that I welcome this latest group of high-achieving Miltonians into the Walk of Fame, individuals who have achieved a great deal on a national and/or international stage. - Mayor Gord Krantz
Milton has been my home for the past 13 years. I moved here with my family at the start of my 2nd semester in the tenth grade. The move was the result of my father’s promotion to a Staff Sergeant with the Ontario Provincial Police and we have remained here ever since.
My page in the Milton Walk of Fame program.
Officially a part of the Milton Walk of Fame! Pictured: Bert Wasmund, Lisa Raitt, Parm Gill, myself, and Gordon Krantz.
It was in Milton that my sister and I played our final year of organized basketball together, bringing a championship to the Milton District High School (MDHS) senior women’s basketball team. It was here that I signed my letter of intent to attend Syracuse University, and it was here my parents watched as I was picked 8th overall in the 2013 WNBA draft.
Milton has played a big role in the continuation of my basketball career. My former teachers Mr. O’Brien, Mr. MacIntyre and Mr. Oliver were always very supportive. They would constantly open up the MDHS gym for me in the early hours before school started so that I could get my training sessions in. For that, I will be forever thankful. I was also able to train with popular Milton based strength coach Gary Ferier of BetterBodz, who helped me improved my strength and agility during the 2018 offseason when I took a break from playing overseas.
Fellow inductee Bert Wasmund, myself and Mayor Gordon Krantz.
Basketball has been a huge blessing in my life over the years. I received a free college education that I otherwise would not have been able to afford. I have been able to play this sport professionally for what will be 7 years this summer. I have the ability to travel the world and have been to over 20 countries. I was able to take part in the Harvard business school crossover into business program and I have been able to speak and work at camps, clinics, and more all because of an orange ball! The impact basketball has had in my life is beyond words.
When I think about some of my basketball accomplishments to date, the ones that I am most proud of are: being Syracuse’s all-time leading scorer, being drafted to the WNBA and making the Canadian senior women’s national team. These accomplishments mean the most to me because they were the result of a lot of hard work, sweat, tears of frustration, overcoming injuries, mental battles and sacrifice.
The 2019 inductees into the Milton Walk of Fame, in no particular order: Scott Hogarth, Matthew O’Meara, Matthew Sewell, Arthur henry Fleming (not pictured), Oscar Ernest Fleming (not pictured), George Sherwood Hume (not pictured) and Bert Wasmund. Also pictured, Lisa Raitt, Mayor Gordon Krantz and Parm Gill.
To think that I have now been inducted into the town of Milton’s Walk of Fame is both an incredible honour and also a bit of a shock. I am honored that my name was even considered for this incredible distinction and I have been incredibly fortunate, but I feel like I’m not done. There is so much I have yet to do, and goals on my list I have yet to reach. It is for these reasons that there is some shock. I feel like I haven’t done enough, especially from a community point of view. I believe there is so much more I can, and should, be doing in my community. I am thankful not only for this great honor but also for the renewed motivation and reminder it has given me to do more to give back in my own community, starting with the town of Milton.
To read more about the incredible individuals nominated this year click here. I still can’t believe my name is now etched alongside some of the most accomplished and talented people in Milton. You can read up on all of their accomplishments here!
Lastly, there are a few people in my life to whom I owe great thanks. Thank you first and foremost to my parents; without their sacrifice (time, money, sleep, the list is endless) and their support, I would not be where I am today. Thank you to my siblings, especially Kesia. She is always honest (even when I don’t want to hear it), is my biggest cheerleader and always has my back no matter what; she is my rock. Thank you to Monique Kovacs and Keith Macy, who first gave me a chance to play basketball, and my girl Nicole Murphy who brought me to my first ever basketball tryout (look at what you started!). To Coach Q, KB, Cedric, Coach Luneau, Coach Moody, and Ryan Cabiles, thank you for pushing me to always be better while I was at Syracuse. To coach Hughes, VJ, Coach Wade, and Ruth Riley, thank you for the opportunity to play in the WNBA and for believing in me and helping me along the way. Thank you, Eric Wiesel, for always having faith in, and wanting the best for, me. Thank you to my teammates, current, past and future who continue to challenge me on the court. And of course, thank you to Town Councillor John Challinor for putting on a great event, notifying me of my nomination and for all you and Mayor Gordon Krantz do for the city of Milton! There are countless others who I know I am forgetting to list, however, a big thank you goes out to everyone who has helped me and been a part of my basketball journey.
I also want to give a HUGE thank you to my family and friends who drove all the way down to Milton to witness my induction into the Milton Walk of Fame.
My amazing family and friends who came out to support!
My family, my biggest supporters, my rock (Kyle, you are here in spirit!).
It’s been an incredible ride with this sport so far, and God willing, I will be able to continue to play this sport with the same passion, love and joy for many more years to come and, be an inspiration for the next generation and give back in the process!
Thanks for stopping by, and God bless!
Kayla