Heart of the Axe: Ebe Otoikhine

Heart of the Axe is a weekly feature from the perspective of Axemen and Axewomen student-athletes. It dives deeper into why they decided to attend Acadia, what drives them athletically, how they got started in their sport, the impact Acadia has had on them during their time in Wolfville and much more. 

This week's feature athlete is fourth-year rugby Axewoman and kinesiology major Ebe Otoikhine who joined the Axewomen in 2021-22. Otoikhine helped the Axewomen to their 2024 AUS women's rugby championship title, which they won on the road at STFX. 

Coming all the way from Calgary, Alberta, to Wolfville, Nova Scotia, was quite the journey.

I honestly didn’t even know Acadia University existed when I first started applying to universities.

But when head coach Matt Durant reached out to me and told me about the rugby program, the kinesiology program, and the small class sizes, I was intrigued.

And when he flew all the way out to Alberta to meet my parents and me, I was impressed.

I think it was his dedication to come out and meet me, and show me the campus, that really made me feel like I wouldn’t just be another number at this school.

He made me realize that I’d be part of the community and find a new family out in Acadia, and he was 100 per cent correct.

That’s what made me end up choosing Acadia and the Town of Wolfville.

It’s a chapter of my story I’ll always cherish, and as I prepare to graduate, I’ll continue to embrace the many lessons I’ve learned here.

Rugby might be the sport for me

I think my first exposure to rugby was in a grade eight gym class.

One of the teachers said, “Hey, this is something that you guys should try out.”

We did it for about a week, and I instantly fell in love.

Rugby isn’t really a sport that many people get to play when they’re younger, but I remember my first season.

Halfway through the season, I scored my first try, and that was just such an electric moment.

My team was there to celebrate with me, and I just felt all the hard work that I had put into the season and myself as an athlete come to fruition.

Growing up, sports were just another opportunity to hang out with my friends, which made me love it so much more.

I got to have fun and build friendships with everyone.

Coming from a household where I’m an only child, having sports and those friendships I made through sports was really my outlet and my way to be social.

In my second season playing rugby, I realized that I was good at the sport and that I could have fun while being good at it.

It made me think to myself, why did I not play this sooner?

Why did I not realize that this was so much fun sooner in my life?

Me wanting to play it at the next level was about showing other girls that they could play this and that it was a cool thing to do.

I figured that playing it on a bigger stage would give me that platform to reach out to the younger generations.

Moving across the country

The transition to Acadia was probably one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in my life.

It was a big culture shock, and living across the country and being far away from home was tough.

There were times when I felt like I didn’t belong.

But I’m extremely lucky and privileged to be part of such a welcoming rugby team.

They made my transition easier and welcomed me in.

It felt like I immediately had a family in Wolfville and away from home.

The Town of Wolfville is also a special place.

The community is so supportive, and they made me feel like I was part of something bigger than myself.

Homecoming 2023 – something I’ll never forget

I have to say, I always thought that winning AUS would be my all-time favourite moment with the team.

But I think it comes back to Homecoming 2023.

Playing that game with the stands packed by alumni, the community, other Acadia students, and our fellow student-athletes was just such an exhilarating experience.

Raymond Field felt electric, and it just felt like there was something in the air that day.

We were all just having fun on that field, and you could really just feel the excitement in every minute.

I just feel like having everyone there to support us was monumental.

They weren’t just supporting us; they were supporting women in sport, and I think that’s what really motivated us to play our best that day.

In that moment, on the field, it honestly just felt like we were doing something special by playing that Saturday 2 p.m. game.

My biggest takeaway from my time at Acadia

It is really hard to pinpoint one lesson I’ve learned over my time here because I feel like I have learned so much from my time at Acadia.

But I would say the word that sticks out to me the most is gratefulness.

Acadia and Wolfville bring something special, something different.

If you compare it to other schools, you don’t really have the community backing you the way we do.

And I just don’t think that anyone else really gets the chance to experience the kind of family that we have within Acadia Athletics.

So just the biggest lesson is to be grateful for everything that you have.

Be grateful for all the people around you and all the experiences and privileges you have while being a student-athlete.

What’s next?

I’ve always been passionate about sport, and I don’t really see my life without it.

Even though my time at Acadia is done and my time as a varsity athlete has come to an end, I’ll continue to stay involved by coaching younger generations.

I want to see rugby become a big sport and have everyone love it.

Apart from coaching, I’m going to continue my education and hope to make a bigger difference in the world.

I’m excited about the future and can’t wait to see where my journey takes me next.