Ontario Tech women's field lacrosse assistant coach Rachael McKinnon had a golden summer, coaching a pair of teams to national championships.
 
This started with winning gold at the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games with Team Ontario in box lacrosse as an assistant coach. Ontario picked up a 2-1 win over B.C. to capture the first female box lacrosse medal in Canada Games history.
 
"It was an amazing experience to be part of history as the first female box lacrosse program to win gold in the tournament's history," said McKinnon. "The scale of the Canada Summer Games was amazing. We had an incredible experience and the support between Team O programs was great to see. Box Lacrosse was part of the Canada Summer Games in 1985, but only on the boys side. It was great for our players to win this tournament together, make history and get noticed by top NCAA and OUA programs."
 
Just days after the historic moment, she helped coach Ontario's U-19 field lacrosse team to a national title as head coach at the Jenny Kyle Cup in Sherwood Park, Alta. They won all round-robin games, advancing to the final, which they won 15-8 over Alberta.
 
"It was great to see the team come together and stick to our game plan. I am looking forward to getting back with this group when we head to the Brogden Cup in Maryland. We will be competing against the US Development Team and Haudenosaunee Nationals programs."
 
Her success behind the bench comes after time on the field has done so much for her over the years. As a player she played for the University of Denver, making two NCAA Sweet 16 appearances. It also led her to being able to complete two masters programs: MBA in sports management and master of science in instructional leadership, while working with Division 1 at Robert Morris University and Franklin Pierce University, a Division 2 program. 
 
"I am fortunate that I have been surrounded by mentors along the way, starting with playing ice hockey and lacrosse here in Durham Region, in addition to learning from experienced coaches at the NCAA level with Liza Kelly at Denver," she said. "I'm also thankful for the continued support of my family and friends."
 
When it comes to what it means to see teams she coaches have success, she said it's rewarding to see them to get recognized for their efforts and achieve their goals of playing Canada's national sport at the highest level.
 
"It's exciting to help the next generation of Canadian athletes navigate the recruiting process and earn spots with NCAA and OUA programs, excelling on and off the field. I'm looking forward to the continued growth and development of our national sport."