Kristina (Fabris) van Lankvelt carries many a wonderful memory from her volleyball career.

That will happen when your resume includes an OFSAA gold medal, multiple appearances with provincial teams, a storied four year stretch with the University of South Florida Bulls (NCAA) – not to mention a stint of professional volleyball in Europe and so much more.

It also helps when you enjoy a heartfelt appreciation for all that has come your way – something that comes part and parcel with the Fabris family name, it would seem.

Yet in the midst of it all, the summer of 2005 rises above the rest.

Now that summer will be forever etched within the walls of the Ontario Volleyball Association (OVA) offices as van Lankvelt and her 2005 provincial teammates are being inducted, less than a month from now, into the OVA Hall of Fame.

For as much as winning gold at the 2005 Canada Summer Games in Regina, the first gold medal for Ontario in women’s volleyball dating back to 1967, as well as the chance to serve as your province’s flag bearer at the closing ceremonies will always remain memorable, it was the context of that particular team that is embedded in the mind of the spouse of former national team member Toon van Lankvelt.

“That whole summer was just a lot of fun,” said Kristina, now back in Sudbury and settled in nicely to the family owned business that is Med-I-Well. “We worked our butts off, practicing six to eight hours a day, in the gym sweating – but we enjoyed it. It was such a cool summer.”

On the heels of her freshman season at FSU, a year in which she was named conference rookie of the year, (Fabris) van Lankvelt would squeeze just under the age requirements for the 2005 Games, the oldest player on her team, as it would be.

The sojourn to Saskatchewan was the pinnacle of a Team Ontario itinerary that included a chance to compete at the Global Challenge Cup in Salt Lake City (Utah) - where Fabris was named best defensive player at the tournament - followed by a training session with the U.S. Junior National team at the Olympic Centre in Denver, Colorado.

While each of those was special, in their own right, it always comes back to those who share the voyage with you – and this story is no different. “It was a very competitive environment in practice but at the same time, everyone supported one another,” recalled van Lankvelt. “The coaches were instrumental with that.”

“There’s definitely quite a few individuals that stuck with me because we were friends off the court as well. These were exceptional human beings – and it’s really cool to think back on such a special team.”

In many ways, the summer of 2005 marked the end of a chapter, one marked by the incredible rise in prominence of the Sudbury product, a very gifted all-around athlete at Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School who hit a crossroads prior to starting her grade 11 year.

“I was doing all of these sports and I loved them all – but I knew I was more passionate about volleyball,” said van Lankvelt. “I remember my dad (Lucio) saying that there comes a point where if you really want to excel, you’re going to have to specialize. He never pushed me in any given direction – but I knew I wanted to focus on volleyball.”

With the help of coach Tom Sutton, a huge advocate when it came to making the OVA aware of the hidden gem they could unearth in northern Ontario, as well as her parents, who supported her travel back and forth to Waterloo pretty much every single weekend for eight months straight to play club volleyball, Fabris would indeed get noticed.

“Because I didn’t know much about how far you could go with volleyball, it was really cool to actually make the provincial team that summer,” she said. “Thank goodness for Tom (Sutton) because that was a springboard to my career.”

Sure, there was talent – and Sutton and others could see that. But beneath the surface of this supremely affable young woman rested the dogged determination of a warrior – a combination that ultimately landed her a spot with the junior national team.

“I went to a pre camp in December and they said: you’re a middle and you’re too small,” van Lankvelt noted. “You would need to improve your vertical by some exponential amount. I remember that sticking in my head. Challenge accepted – I’ll do what I need to do.”

“Opportunities were provided – but then I worked my butt off to make them happen. My vertical increased to the point where they never thought it could.”

Like so many athletes who have achieved so much, Kristina (Fabris) van Lankvelt is equal parts appreciative and proud, feelings that have deepened with the passage of time.

“I think Toon and I have the very same perspective,” she explained, the couple parents to three young children – soon to be four. “When you’re in the moment, you absolutely love it and enjoy it. I think we were both very present athletes. But now, when you look back on it, we realize even more how fortunate we were.”

“I think we always knew it at the time, but it’s just a heightened awareness with us being parents now.”

Parents who soon will be side by side Hall of Famers: Toon van Lankvelt – Manitoba Sports Hall of Fame – Class of 2023; Kristina (Fabris) van Lankvelt – Ontario Volleyball Association Hall of Fame – Class of 2024.