Being a female varsity athlete means everything to me. The reason I chose to participate in varsity sport, is that it’s a place where women can come compete at a high level and show their strength and determination. I admire all the women who are pursuing their goals in a varsity sport. They may not realize it at the time, but they are inspiring other women around them to stay active and persevere through any challenge life throws at them. My hope as a varsity athlete is that we actively engage women and young girls to stay passionate and determined as leaders in sport and in life. As a varsity athlete at Trent University, who is striving to become a teacher, it is important to me to promote and mentor women in sport and have a lot more females represented, so that young girls know that anything is possible.

For me, being a female varsity athlete means that I get to be a role model for younger female athletes who are aspiring to continue with sports in the future. Playing soccer brings me so much joy, and getting the opportunity to play at the varsity level allows me to pursue my goal of continuing to play the sport I love for as long as possible.

To me, being a varsity athlete means so much more than just competing in your sport. It forces you to grow as person, create and develop long-lasting relationships with teammates, coaches, and the varsity community as a whole. It means being 100% dedicated to your sport, striving to be your best every day, and having a competitive mindset. Not only does it shape you as a person but it connects you to like-minded people and makes you feel part of a community, all experiencing the same challenges that you are.

Being a varsity athlete has allowed me to proudly represent my school. Varsity athletics has been a channel to develop strong relationships and lasting friendships. My participation on the Laurier lacrosse team has been a tool in providing indispensable life skills.

I'm grateful for this experience, it changed my life in so many ways. Being a varsity athlete is a privilege in itself. It gives me the opportunity to play the sport that I love, get a great education, be inspired by other athletes, and inspire future athletes. Especially being a woman, there can be so much bias, but I just think it is so uplifting to see so many amazing female players motivate one another, it really does break down barriers.

To be a female athlete who is able to compete in a high level sport is a privilege to me. To be a female athlete means to have strength, courage and commitment. I am involved in sport to push my own limits, step outside my own comfort levels, set my own goals, and be apart of a second family full of talented female athletes. My teammates and my coaches inspire me to maintain my involvement, when I see them striving towards their goals and accomplishments that they have achieved and are working towards. Being a female involved in sport has given me confidence, pride, pure joy, and a group of powerful allies that I can rely on and off the field. It has encouraged myself to grow into a woman that I am constantly trying to better on and off the field, for my coach, my teammates, my family and for myself.

Being a varsity athlete has had such a positive impact on my life in so many ways. Sport has taught me the determination, the drive, and the hard work that is required to reach high expectations and goals. It has also allowed me to meet others who share similar values, many of these individuals being some of the strongest and most motivated women I've ever met. These women inspire me to strive to be the best athlete that I can be each day and encourage me to apply the same energy and confidence to other aspects of my life too. I have every intention to continue to pursue my track career even after my time as a Gee-Gee, and varsity sport plays a huge role in this desire. In the future, there will be no female leaders; there will just be leaders. And I believe that sport is certainly no exception to this.

I have known for a long time I wanted to compete at the varsity level. I was inspired by other athletes I looked up to, my teammates, and coaches to keep working hard to reach the goals I had set for myself. I am proud that I have become an inspiration to younger female athletes, which is one of the reasons I push myself to get better everyday. In addition to inspiring others, to me, being a varsity athlete means commitment, representing my school, and fulfilling my sense of self. It brings me confidence, friendship, and a bond with that will last forever. Continuing to reach and build on my goals have shown me that I have the ability to succeed in anything I put my mind to.

I set my goals high and I work as hard as needed until I achieve them. It has always been hard to combine studying with sports, but I like challenges, I like overcoming obstacles. It has only made me stronger and I wouldn't have been the same person as I am today. Playing sports has really helped me become more organized, improved my time management skills, taught me how not to give up, how to overcome myself, how to  push even when it seems impossible and when no one believes in you.

Engaging in a sport like soccer gives me an undeniable identity with something greater than myself. I started out as a very timid player who was set on picking every dandelion on the field rather than kicking a ball into a net. That all changed when my older male cousin tried to insinuate that I was doing that because the sport wasn't 'made' for me. I was determined to prove him wrong and after scoring my first goal, I found myself hooked. Hooked to this belief in myself. Hooked to pushing boundaries. Hooked to being a woman in sport. Soccer has consistently been my outward expression of the statement 'Anything you can do, I can do better'. I have been lucky enough to have an incredibly strong and talented woman dedicate considerable time into developing every part of my physical abilities. That, in and of itself, is the entire essence of women supporting each other that keeps me playing.