Renata Fast

Biography

Renata Fast is a two-time Olympic medallist, having won gold in women’s hockey at Beijing 2022 following a silver medal at PyeongChang 2018.

Fast scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal—her first ever Olympic goal—during Canada’s semifinal win over Switzerland at Beijing 2022. She led the team in minutes played during the tournament, averaging 21:32 per game.

Fast has won seven medals (three gold, three silver, one bronze) at the IIHF Women’s World Championship since making her debut in 2017.

Fast first wore the maple leaf as a member of the National Women’s Development Team in 2014. She won gold with that team at the 2015 Nations Cup before joining the National Women’s Team at the 2015 Four Nations Cup, winning the silver medal. Following a second straight silver at the Four Nations Cup in 2016, she made her IIHF Women’s World Championship debut in 2017, helping Canada to the silver medal.

Fast tied for second in assists at her second world championship in 2019 as Canada came away with the bronze medal following an upset semifinal loss to Finland. After the 2020 Worlds were cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fast and Team Canada got their redemption in 2021. She scored her first world championship goal during Canada’s 5-1 round robin win over the United States and her second goal was the game winner that sent Canada to the final. There, Canada defeated Team USA for the second time at the tournament to take home their first world title since 2012. Fast had come back from tearing her right shoulder labrum in November 2018 which eventually required surgery in April 2020 followed by six months of rehab.

Fast was part of world championship gold medal performances again in 2022 and 2024. At the 2024 Worlds, Fast was named Best Defender and was selected to the Media All-Star team. She was also a Media All-Star in 2023 and 2025 when Canada won silver medals. 

Fast had played forward her entire career until she switched to defence the year before starting college. That change certainly worked in her favour at Clarkson University as her career really took off. After reaching the NCAA quarterfinals as a freshman in 2012-13, she helped Clarkson win its first ever national championship in 2013-14 and was named to the Frozen Four All-Tournament Team. The players on the underdog team came together in their belief in each other to outwork their opponents. She was named an alternate captain in her junior season and made it back to the Frozen Four as a senior in 2015-16. Fast was a four-time ECAC All-Academic team selection.

After graduation, she was selected second overall by the Toronto Furies of the CWHL and was a finalist for league Rookie of the Year in 2016-17, having led all Toronto defencemen in scoring. After missing nearly the entire following season due to Olympic centralization, Fast returned to Toronto for 2018-19, what would turn out to be the last for the CWHL. Following the league’s collapse, Fast joined the PWHPA advocating for better standards in women’s pro hockey. She also was part of Team Canada during the women’s showcases at the 2019 and 2020 NHL All-Star Games.

In 2023 Fast was one of three players signed by Toronto in the pre-draft period before the inaugural PWHL season. In 2024-25 she was named the Defender of the Year in the PWHL and was a finalist for the Billie Jean King MVP award. She is a two-time end-of-season all-star.

A Little More About Renata

Getting into the Sport: Started playing hockey at age 8, becoming competitive a year later… Had a scholarship for soccer as well as hockey but chose the latter… Outside Interests: Graduated from Clarkson University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Financial Information and Analysis… Enjoys yoga, reading, baking, hiking… Runs her own girls hockey camp in the summer… Odds and Ends: Favourite athlete: former National Women’s Team player Becky Kellar… Has always been in awe of Canadian Olympic athletes, no matter what sport… Favourite motto: It’s not the will to win that matters, everyone has that. It’s the will to PREPARE to win that matters most.