Michelle Sawatzky-Koop

Michelle Sawatzky-Koop (born July 14, 1970 in Steinbach, Manitoba) is a retired female volleyball player from Canada, who competed for her native country at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. There, she ended up in ninth place with the Women's National Team.
While growing up in Steinbach, Michelle Sawatzky developed and pursued her interests in music and athletics, choosing volleyball as her sport of choice. As a university player for the Manitoba Bisons, she was a two-time CIS Championship MVP in 1990 and 1991, as well a two-time CIS player of the year for the 1990-91 and 1991-92 seasons. Sawatzky was a part of the Bison's women's volleyball team that won two CIS championships in 1990 and 1991. In 1995, she was part of the bronze medal finish at the Pan American Games in Argentina. In March 1996, the team qualified for the Olympic Games and in July of that same year, the team finished 9th at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
After competing in the 1996 Olympics, Michelle joined CHSM, CFAM and CJRB radio, in the spring of 1997, to become a broadcaster and producer on the Morning Show (currently hosted by Al Friesen, Michelle Sawatzky and Jayme Giesbrecht). She is also an accomplished pianist, having graduated from the University of Manitoba School of Music in 1993, with a Bachelor of Music Piano Performance. Michelle has been a key organizer and participant in the annual Southeastern Manitoba Festival, which takes place in Steinbach.