Like so many Canadians, I spent February 2010 glued to my TV, brimming with patriotic pride and overcome by Olympic fever. I tracked the torch. I cried during the opening ceremonies. I sported those now-iconic red mittens. And I watched with bated breath as figure skater Joannie Rochette snagged a bronze medal, mere days after the sudden and tragic passing of her mother, Thérèse.

On Tuesday, Rochette was named Canada's Female Athlete of the Year by The Canadian Press, as voted by newsrooms around the country, reports CBC Sports. She is the first figure skater to win the award since 1981.

"It's a huge honour to be getting this award. For people to still be voting for me one year after the Games, means a lot to me" said Rochette, in an interview with The Canadian Press. "I had a lot of support, a lot of love during the Games in Vancouver and I'll never forget that—how much support I received from Canadians. That's what helped me get through that tough week in Vancouver, and that's why I was able to compete and achieve my dream."

The stunning Rochette also graces the January/February 2011 cover of Best Health. In the issue, she opens up to writer Christine Langlois about her mother's passing, that heart-wrenching week in Vancouver and her new role raising awareness about the risks of heart disease for Canadian women. The issue will be available on newsstands January 3rd.

Who was your favourite female Canadian athlete of 2010?

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