Kitchener-Waterloo·Audio

Guelph's Kaleigh Rafter to play for bronze with Canada's Olympic softball team

For the first time since 2008, softball has made a comeback to this year's Olympic Games in Tokyo. Guelph's Kaleigh Rafter is back in the games for the second time with Team Canada and spoke to CBC K-W's 'The Morning Edition' about playing the sport she loves.

Rafter and her teammates feel 'honoured' to be representing Canada at this year's Olympics

Canada's Kaleigh Rafter rounds second base after hitting a solo home run to end the game during fifth inning playoff action against Brazil at the Softball Americas Olympic Qualifier tournament in Surrey, B.C., in September 2019. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)

Playing softball at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is "something that everyone's been dreaming of," says Guelph's Kaleigh Rafter.

The catcher for Team Canada spoke with CBC Kitchener-Waterloo's The Morning Edition host Craig Norris Monday morning after they beat Italy 8-1 to advance to the bronze medal game on Tuesday.

"I think we're all just really honoured to bear that burden and bear that responsibility for future generations," she said.

Softball hasn't been in the Olympics since 2008, and Rafter played in those Games, but she says not being in the Olympics has definitely had an impact on the sport.

Canada's infielder Joey Lye and catcher Kaleigh Rafter high five during the women's softball preliminary round against the United States at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, in August 2019. (Associated Press)

"I think for the momentum of the sport it's been a little bit harder, to kind of be in and be out, be out again and now we're back in," Rafter said.

"That's been a little bit tough to gain momentum, and gain that viewership. I think our game is a viewer-friendly game but it's hard when you don't have that big stage." 

Listen to the full interview with Kaleigh Rafter: