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While her volleyball career has spanned nearly four decades and has taken her around the world, it only takes a second for Wanda Guenette to name her favourite moments.

“Back in junior (1980), when we won the NORCECA (continental) championship and we beat Cuba (a perennial world power), that was a pretty big one, and representing Canada at the Olympic Games,” said Guenette, who was a member of Canada’s national women’s volleyball team at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. “Really cool. We made Canadian history because it was the first time we’d actually qualified for the Olympics and first time Canada had won a match, which happened to be our last match against Peru.”

It was a monumental feat for Canada to qualify for the Olympics in women’s volleyball and it’s become the stuff of legends since Guenette and the 1996 team stand as the last Canadian women’s squad to qualify for the Olympics in women’s volleyball.

“Volleyball is my passion, it’s where I feel most comfortable and have the greatest happiness,” said Guenette.

It’s been a grand journey for Guenette, who was born and raised in Winnipeg. She began playing volleyball at age 12 in grade 7 at Munroe Junior High School and graduated from Miles Macdonell Collegiate. Guenette went on to play three years (1980-83) for the University of Winnipeg Wesmen where she won a national championship in 1983 and was named an all-Canadian.

She left the game for five years to work. In 1988, her friend Andrea Pedrick recruited her to play professionally in Germany – the start of a 10-year professional career. Team Canada came calling when she was 28 years old and Guenette wore the Maple Leaf for for nine years.

With Team Canada, Guenette competed in three Pan American Games (1991, 1995, 1999), two World Cups (1991, 1995) and five straight NORCECA championships (1991-1999). Her professional career included stops in Germany (1988-1990), France (1990-1991), Italy (1992-1993), Spain (1996-1998) and Belgium (1999-2000).

Guenette made the switch to beach volleyball in 2001 and built a stellar career in the sand. She and her beach partner Laura Inward have won three consecutive World Masters Games gold medals in 2005, 2009 and 2013. The last world title came after Guenette had been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Her hands and feet are affected but she uses diet and exercise along with medication to manage the disease.

It used to be my shoulder but I got a new one last year. It’s titanium, so I’m good,” Guenette laughed, referring to her November 2013 shoulder replacement surgery. This shoulder should be good for another four decades.

She has since become involved in beach volleyball, coaching the 2009 and 2013 Manitoba teams for the Canada Summer Games.