On January 21, 1995, Sea-Hawks basketball star Michelle Healey sank seven three-pointers in a single game. It was a new Atlantic University Sport (AUS) record.

The feat was remarkable because, in those days, three-point attempts were not as ubiquitous in the game of basketball as they are today. Back then, three-pointers were considered a risk or a last resort.

But Ms. Healey rained them down anyway. That was her calling card.

The Sea-Hawks women’s varsity basketball team went on to win their first ever Atlantic University title that year. Ms. Healey, the league MVP, went on to win the MVP award for the championship tournament as well.

She also became the first Sea-Hawks basketball player to be named a Canadian first-team all-star.

Ms. Healey was named the St. John’s Female Athlete of the Year in both 1995 and 1996. She was Memorial’s Female Athlete of the Year for 1995-96 and shortly after her final game with the Sea-Hawks, she was inducted into Memorial’s sports hall of fame, known as the Athletic Honours Society.

When her career with the Sea-Hawks ended after the 1995-96 season, she was the team’s all-time leading scorer and held the record for points in a single season and three-pointers in a career.

If there were a Mount Rushmore of Sea-Hawks women’s basketball, Ms. Healey’s would have been the first likeness carved into permanence.

 

The 1994-95 AUS Champions: front row (L-R) coach Doug Partridge, Lisa Ryan, Karen Cameron, Jaime Hearn, Lori Squires, Sandi Blundon and Michelle Healey. Back row (L-R) coach Tami Pennell, Janice Gillingham, Angela Torraville, Judy Byrne, Tara Bulgin, Jenifer Devereaux, Andrea Dinn and trainer Bill Wiseman. Photo from Memorial University Archives.

 

Ms. Healey went on to complete her master’s in physical education at Memorial, and in 1999, she accepted a position as a co-ordinator with Memorial’s Varsity Athletics program.

In 2006, she became Memorial University’s first full-time director of Varsity Athletics, and our programs flourished under her leadership.

But her presence on campus extended beyond winning championships and hosting major sporting events.

In 2013, she brought the international sport inclusion campaign You Can Play to Memorial as a way to promote acceptance and to encourage athletes of all sexual orientations and genders to get involved in varsity sports.

She consistently promoted sports on campus as a way to build a kinder world.

Later that year, she was named the director of the Recreation and Sport Division with the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador.

She became particularly known for advancing women’s sports in the province and encouraging young girls to play.

Michelle Healey passed away in 2024 at the age of 51.

The provincial government established the Michelle Healey Memorial Award, which is awarded annually to a female athlete currently enrolled at a post-secondary institution, who demonstrates both athletic excellence and a commitment to community.

Thirty years after her playing days, Ms. Healey is still the Sea-Hawks’ women’s basketball team’s second all-time leading scorer. And she is still the reigning queen from three-point range, holding the team’s record for most three-pointers in a career with 160 in 91 games.

As a game evolves, records tend to fall. But even if her accomplishments on the court are seen from a distance, Memorial will always remember Michelle Healey for this:

She loved the game, played for her teammates and worked endlessly for her community.

She was Memorial’s greatest ambassador for sports and an ambassador for kindness, acceptance and the sheer joy of play.