The 37-year-old won gold in the 1,500 metes at the Turin 2006 Games - one of six Olympic medals she collected in her career.

She won four more medals in Turin - becoming the first Canadian to stand on the podium five times during a single Olympics.

Two silvers arrived in the team pursuit and the 1,000m while bronzes came in the 3,000m and 5,000m.

Her medal rush in the Italian city followed 3,000m bronze at Salt Lake City 2002 and means she is tied as Canada's most decorated Olympian.

Clara Hughes, a speed skater and cyclist, is the only other Canadian to have won six medals, with her haul also including one gold.

Hughes joined Klassen in the team pursuit line-up in Turin.

Klassen, also a five-time world champion, had always wanted a career with the police, but thought she might be too old after injury trouble prompted her retirement in June 2015.

However, a recruiting officer told her that women in Calgary were hired up to the age of 50 and she opted to start training.

She is now working on patrol in the city which hosted the 1988 Winter Olympic Games and is pondering whether to bid for the 2026 edition.

"The funny thing is since I was a kid I always wanted to be a police officer, and then when I finally retired from speed skating I thought, 'oh I'm way too old to do it,'" Klassen said to CBC.

"There is such a crossover - just the hard work and dedication and determination that I had from speed skating. 

"I take that over into my career as a police officer.

"I'm part of a team again and I have a sergeant who is kind of like a coach. 

"It feels very much like I'm in a sporting community again.

"After going through a whole career of speed skating and being given so much in my career as an athlete, I really wanted to give back to the community."

Klassen admitted that sometimes she is recognised by members of the public while in her new role.

"They've congratulated me on my career and stuff like that," she added.

"It doesn't happen very often."