GUELPH, Ont. – Martina Fedel, a fifth-year animal biology major at the University of Guelph, and U SPORTS All-Canadian goalie on the Gryphons women's hockey team, is trading in her Gryphon colours for the green, white and red of Team Italy. Fedel, a 23-year-old from Trento, Italy, is set to make her Olympic debut with the host nation after earning her spot on the Italian women's ice hockey team for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Fedel is one of three Olympians with University of Guelph ties in 2026, with Lia Pereira (Team Canada, pairs figure skating) set to make her Olympic debut, while two-time Olympic medalist Blayre Turnbull (Team Canada, women's ice hockey) prepares for her third Olympic games while also studying part-time at U of G. 
 

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University of Guelph representation at 2026 Winter Olympics:
 

Name	Olympic Sport	University of Guelph ties
Martina Fedel	Women's Hockey	Animal biology major and member of Gryphons women's varsity hockey team (2021-to-present)
Lia Pereira	Pairs Figure Skating	Third-year B.Comm. student at the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics studying business
Blayre Turnbull	Women's Hockey	Began a master's in leadership at the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics, studying part-time while playing for the Toronto Sceptres (PWHL) and preparing for Milano Cortina 2026.

 

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Martina Fedel's journey from Italy to the University of Guelph:
 
Initially inspired by her younger brother's interest in hockey, Martina Fedel grew up practicing and playing hockey at some of the highest levels offered in Italy, Slovenia and Sweden, competing against both girls and boys throughout her youth. After high school, Martina made her way to Canada to compete in the OWHL U22 Elite (Ontario's premier under-22 women's hockey league). It was around this time that Martina started to actively apply to post-secondary institutions, with the University of Guelph catching her interest academically, as the animal biology undergraduate program, as well as U of G's renowned Ontario Veterinary College, made Guelph a natural fit for Martina, whose long-term goal was to pursue a career as a vet. In August of 2021, Martina set foot on campus for the first time. And when it came to athletics, she had to earn it the hard way, by attending an open try-out with the Gryphons women's hockey team. The rest, they say, is history.
 

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Martina Fedel's outstanding athletic accomplishments at the University of Guelph:
 
Over the past five years, Martina Fedel has put together a decorated career with the Gryphons women's hockey team. During her third season as a Gryphon (2023-24), Fedel was named the University of Guelph's Women's Athlete of the Year (from across all varsity sports) after a sensational junior season. That season, Fedel was named a U SPORTS First Team All-Canadian and OUA Goalie of the Year while leading the country in goals against average (1.03 GAA). Over the course of her Gryphon career, Fedel posted a regular season wins-loss record of 48-14 (.774 win %), a 1.16 goals-against average, 25 shutouts and a .948 save percentage.
 
Martina Fedel quote on her University of Guelph experience:
"My time at the University of Guelph has been amazing. I have so many great friends and great memories. Everyone at U of G has been so nice to me and really made me feel at home. I remember during some Thanksgiving's or at Christmas time, when I couldn't go home, I had friends on my Gryphons women's hockey team invite me over to their homes. It was such a supportive, family environment there."
   

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Martina Fedel on the international stage:
 
Martina Fedel represented Italy at the 2022 IIHF Ice Hockey Women's World Championship Division I, Group B, which was held from April 8–14, 2022, in Katowice, Poland. She also participated in the 2022 Winter Olympic qualification tournaments, with Italy ultimately falling just short of reaching Beijing. In preparation for the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics, Martina has racked up the air miles, regularly traveling back to Italy over the past year for various training camps and exhibition games. In mid-November 2025, Martina was back on campus at U of G for a short stint, before making her way to Montreal, Quebec at the end of November, where she stayed for two months with the Italian national team, with Montreal serving as the site of Italy's centralization camp.
 

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Martina Fedel quote on becoming an Olympian:
 
Just a few days before Christmas 2025, Martina received the best Christmas present she could have asked for. The Italian coaching staff confirmed the good news to Martina on December 21 in Montreal during the team's centralization camp. "It was a dream come true when I found out that I would be on the team," said Fedel. "In recent years, women's professional hockey has really started to grow. But when I was growing up, there were no professional women's hockey leagues. So as a kid, I always looked towards Olympic hockey as the ultimate goal to one day be a part of. So, to be able to see that become a reality is truly a dream come true." Shortly after finding out she had made the team, Martina was among a group of Italian Olympic athletes who were invited to Rome for a special ceremony where the Italian flag bearers were announced. It was here that Martina had the opportunity to meet the President of Italy, as well as various fellow Italian Olympians, including legendary Italian alpine ski racer, Federica Brignone, one of Italy's most-decorated ski racers. Next stop for Martina, the 2026 Olympic Games. Italy's women's ice hockey team officially begins play on Thursday, February 5 against France. 
 

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Related articles:
 
(University of Guelph) - Gryphons Take the Ice at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Italy
 
(The Hockey News) – Olympic Women's Hockey Preview: Team Italy
 
(iihf.com) – Dreaming of Milan 2026