|
Posted by
Melissa Tan,
June 5, 2015 |
|
Email
Melissa Tan
Twitter:
@page1of1
|
|
Read this on your iPhone/iPad or Android device
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015™ will represent many things: a tournament where hopes and dreams are realized or shattered, where new soccer nations rise and national heroes are made.
Beyond growing the sport itself, for UNICEF Canada and Ambassador Karina LeBlanc, the Women’s World Cup will also serve as a global stage to raise awareness of the plight of the world's most vulnerable women and children.
Two ambitious campaigns leveraging the world's largest women's sporting event were launched last week.
Mrs. Laureen Harper, wife of Canada's Prime Minister, was among the distinguished guests in attendance to celebrate The 25th Team in Waterloo, Ontario. UNICEF Canada, in partnership with Teck Resources and Canada Soccer, is recruiting a group of 60 influential women each committing $100,000 over four years to maternal, newborn and child health projects in Cambodia, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Namibia and Peru. The investment is projected to touch the lives of more than two million women and children.
With 24 teams competing at the Women’s World Cup, which kicks off June 6 in Edmonton, Alberta, the name of the initiative plays on the concept that UNICEF Canada is building The 25th Team, one composed of inspirational women fiercely dedicated to saving lives.
Among the afternoon's moving programming was TSN's feature on LeBlanc, filmed over the course of six days in March during a trip to her native Dominica where she facilitated motivational sessions with students and national soccer teams.
VIDEO: http://soccer.tsn.ca/video/leblanc-inspiring-the-future/
LeBlanc guided students through several exercises to shift their mindsets and remove their inhibitions. She looked directly into their eyes and had them verbalize their dreams; she had them repeating phrases like, "I'm going to be brave," and "I believe in me."
The goalkeeper spoke frankly about her personal struggles that were eventually superseded by positive self-efficacy, beaming with genuine warmth and confidence she’s developed through participating in sport. When she moved to Maple Ridge, British Columbia at the age of eight, the first day of school involved a classmate placing a lit firecracker in her hand; it went off and no help was offered, only cruel laughter. The colour of her skin, too, served as a target for torment.
As LeBlanc later wrote on her blog, "I was the shy kid that left this island with my family to move to Canada. It didn’t start easy for us. We were minorities. I was bullied, felt left out and truly lost. Sport changed that for me. It gave me confidence and a belief in myself. It taught me such things as hard work, good work ethics, dedication, commitment, leadership, teamwork, yet even more importantly, it showed me that I could be good at something and be relevant in any group."
Fighting back tears while speaking about the potential of touching the lives of so many children, LeBlanc told TSN, "The fact that I'm getting to tap into my greater purpose every single day, I think that's pretty special."
Her parents, too, were overwhelmed by the love shown to LeBlanc from a plethora of people. "To see the way that she's accepted by Canadians and Dominicans," said her dad, "it's the proudest moment of my life."
While the common narrative surrounding female soccer players often focuses on inspiring young female athletes, LeBlanc’s words also touched fellow UNICEF Canada Ambassador Solange Tuyishime, who spoke about identifying with LeBlanc's message of perseverance and following dreams.
Tuyishime recalled her early life in Rwanda where the country was fraught with civil war. She and her family escaped to Congo, only to face disease, famine, continued echoes of gunfire and the devastating shrill of parents searching for their lost children.
As she pushed through her hardest moments, she constantly reminded herself of what she could one day obtain, including simple luxuries that the rest of the world too often takes for granted: sleeping in a proper bed and returning to school.
Tuyishime and her family soon sought refuge in Canada, which provided a host of opportunities.
"Believe in you and believe in your future," she said.
No matter how differently from each other their life paths curved and veered, there was something special that kept LeBlanc and Tuyishime moving forward, something that speaks to people of all walks of life.
*******************
Later that evening, during halftime of Canada's Women’s World Cup send-off match against England, a new Guinness World Record of 7,238 was set for the greatest number of people simultaneously giving high-fives. The occasion marked the launch of UNICEF Canada's #HighFiveIt campaign, which also raises funds for maternal, newborn and child health initiatives.
In front of a packed Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ontario, the Honourable Bal Gosal, Minister of State (Sport) was on hand to announce the Government of Canada's commitment of matching donations made to #HighFiveIt, up to $1 million.
UNICEF Canada, the Government of Canada and Canada Soccer are partnering to engage the global community in helping to end preventable child deaths. People are encouraged to join the #HighFiveIt movement by making a donation to UNICEF, capturing a photo/video of their high-five and posting it on social media to tag friends to do the same.
VIDEO: #HighFiveIt for UNICEF to save kids' lives:
"I've seen the impact of UNICEF's work with children in Honduras and Dominica and am excited to have two of my passions — soccer and reaching children through UNICEF — come together with #HighFiveIt," said LeBlanc.
"Competing in the World Cup on home soil makes me unbelievably proud to be a Canadian. We are a compassionate and generous country. I encourage Canadians to high-five every time their favourite team scores or a goalkeeper makes a great save and donate $5 so UNICEF can reach the world's most vulnerable children to help them survive and thrive."
As little as $5 can provide clean drinking water to five children for one year, or give essential nutrients to three children for a day, or immunize 14 children against measles.
For more information on #HighFiveIt, visit HighFiveIt.org.
*******************
For Canada's longest serving player, who's been on the senior national team for 17 years since making her debut at the age of 18, there’s no better way of bidding farewell to the sport that’s changed her life so much than playing in a Women’s World Cup in front of home fans.
On May 26, LeBlanc announced that she's retiring from the international game following the tournament. Her illustrious career will include competing at five Women’s World Cups, two Olympic Games and three Pan American Games, as well as winning a 2012 Olympic bronze medal, Canada's first in a traditional team sport since 1936.
LeBlanc also confirmed that she's completing the NWSL season with the Chicago Red Stars.
As LeBlanc and her teammates are readying to step on the pitch at a tournament set to open as the largest attended national team match of any sport in Canada with over 52,000 fans in stadium, let's continue celebrating one of Canada's national heroes. Or, dare I say, a global hero.
Thank you for everything, Karina.
|