Cecilie Moe Weinreich has done it all. From being part of the national team at 18 to captaining and being a player-coach, she is a true all-rounder.
Now 30, Weinreich is on the brink of realising a lifelong dream: competing in The World Games 2025 in Chengdu, a little more than two months from now.
She has been a Danish women's Canoe Polo team player since 2012 and, acting as a skipper from 2015 to 2019.
Weinreich played a crucial role in achieving a seventh-place finish at the 2024 International Canoe Federation Canoe Polo World Championships in Deqing, China, and helped the Scandinavians secure a spot at The World Games 2025 in Chengdu.
Set for their debut in the multi-sport event, the Danes will be up against Italy, Spain and the Netherlands in Group B from August 13 at the Jianyang Cultural and Sports Center.
In the land of pandas, Weinreich, however, will be able to focus fully as an athlete.
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“We have a coach on land this year, and I am very grateful to be able to focus on my playing and interacting with the team solely as a teammate,” she was quoted as saying by The World Games.
“Not that I didn’t enjoy it previously, I did. But to prolong my time in the sport, I try to absorb all the great things like the fun of a game, an important victory and maybe most importantly the social bond and the freedom.
“Playing Canoe Polo, I forget all else in life. I am just there, in the moment, giving all I have. I try to enjoy the feeling that my life dream, of competing in The World Games, is coming true.”
Two years ago, in Weinreich's last year as player-coach, she helped the Danes to a fifth-place finish at the European Championships, the highest-placed ever for the Danish women's team.
That momentum has set the stage for even greater ambitions in Chengdu, including a push for the semi-finals.
Balancing the dual roles of player and coach wasn’t easy, but it was deeply fulfilling.
“Five years ago, it seemed impossible that we could ever qualify for The World Games. But here we are. A hard and solid team effort.
“I’m proud of my achievements as a coach. Sometimes it can be hard to find qualified volunteers who can help, for example, with coaching. Combining playing and coaching was very tough, but also very rewarding.
“I am so grateful for all that I have learned about myself, team sports and coaching during this period.”
Despite giving up coach duties, she still spends a considerable amount of time talking tactics with her teammates.
From technical drills to video analysis, the minute details can come in handy when competing in world-class events.
Fully aware of the strengths and weaknesses of their group-stage opponents, Weinreich also understands the importance of being mentally strong on big occasions.
“Our strongest opponents are probably the Dutch, Italian and Spanish teams. They are in our group, and we want a good start in the group, for a better quarter-final opponent,” she said.
“But I believe anything can happen at The World Games. It depends on who shows up with the right mental game.”
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