Canada’s national women’s hockey team is in Leamington, hitting the ice ahead of the world championship and it’s giving young girls a rare opportunity to meet the players who inspire them.

“It's really inspiring to watch the whole team to just how hard they work to get to that level and where they are now," says 11 year old Natalie Garro. “I’m really excited because if I got there one day, with everyone watching it would feel amazing."

Fans got the chance to watch their hometown hero, Meghan Agosta and the rest of the team hit the ice to practice.

"When I was growing up I had a lot of childhood heroes and a lot of people look up to me now,” Agosta says.

Like Agosta, Garro has been playing hockey since she was five years old. Garro wears number 87, the same number Meghan wore when she played with the Montreal Canadiens in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League.

Garro has also taken part several times in Agosta’s hockey camp, but Saturday was extra special.

“It was really awesome to finally see her practice because I’ve never watched her, only in her games,” she says.

Hockey dad, Dave Laman says he’s proud his daughter, McKenna has a love for the sport.

"It's showing that it's a boys’ dominated sport, but girls are taking over and girls can do anything the boys can do and to be honest they can do it better sometimes," says Laman.

McKenna echoes, “I love hockey.”

Agosta says she's grateful to be back home, surrounded by fans and inspiring young girls to get into the sport.

"It isn't about the gold medals that I’ve won, it's about trying to inspire the young boys and girls to do something special in their lives," says Agosta.

Defenseman Laura Fortino agrees.

"We love the game; we have a passion for the game,” Fortino. “We love being leaders and showing them role models that we are, and it's been exciting seeing all the people that we've been getting."

Agosta adds, "It's not just myself inspiring these young boys and girls, it's the whole team."

Women’s national team coach Laura Schuler says Agosta is a great inspiration, off and on the ice.

"Meghan Agosta is one of those people to make those younger kids feel like they belong, they're supposed to be here and we need them," says Schuler.

Both Garro and Laman hope one day they too will follow in Agosta's footsteps. While Laman says, "I want to be on the national girls hockey team,”

Garro has even higher aspirations.

"My whole life since I was five years old is to make it to the Olympics and play women's hockey," says Garro.