Being a varsity athlete allows me to express my love and passion for the game. It is also a platform for me to inspire young women of colour to follow their dreams.

Being a varsity athlete allows me to be a role model for all the young girls that attend our games. We are able to show them that it doesn’t matter your gender or background, but with dedication and a hard work ethic, you can be successful in sport.

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 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.

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.

My aspirations are not to be deemed as good as my fellow male athletes; instead I want to be recognized for my talent, strength, and power irrespective to my gender. For talent, dedication, and hard work transcend the labels of gender.

As a varsity athlete, we have the ability to inspire young girls in the crowd to be their best self through hard work, determination, and perseverance. Every time I step on the field I play for my teammates and for the little girl in the stands who is aspiring to be a varsity athlete just like me.

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.

I believe that being a varsity athlete has given me the opportunity to grow in every aspect of my life and provided me with the motivation to continue with sports even after graduating. I also have the opportunity to inspire and be a voice for younger female athletes.

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.