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 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.

Being a varsity athlete means that I can inspire other girls and help show them that there is opportunity for them to compete at a higher level in basketball.

As a female varsity athlete, I can truly say that my sport means the world to me. My goal in life is to inspire others to surmount to challenges and inspire young individuals to chase their dreams. Having the opportunity to compete in competitive swimming at a post-secondary level is beyond amazing because it is giving women the same athletic opportunity as men (which is super important). I have been able to influence younger females to continue pursuing their athletic careers and I am able to give them knowledge based on my experience. I am motivated by all of my fellow female teammates for their hard work, their passion, their positivity, and their support in the field of high-performance athleticism while continuing a full-time academic degree. Being a female athlete is not just an opportunity to compete in a sport I am passionate about; it is about teamwork, growth, discipline, personal experience, dedication, and challenging myself on many levels with the added components of life skill and values.

Being a varsity athlete is a dream come true. Representing my school as well as my team is something special and I will cherish it forever. It has also allowed me to expand and meet other female athletes that are truly inspiring. Being a female athlete is empowering.

Sport has taught me so much over my life. I believe every girl should have the opportunity to play and learn. Being a female varsity athlete means being a role model and inspiration for younger girls in sport. I try to lead by example to inspire the younger generation so they can aspire to varsity athletics.

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.

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.

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.

To me, being a varsity athlete means being given the opportunity to empower other women and girls around me. I believe that the more female leaders there are in sport, the more likely we will be able to convince young female athletes that they can achieve anything they put their mind to.