Ashley Vicklund playing for team Canada at the 2017 IFAF Women's World Championships. (Submitted Photo/Debra Carlson Photography)

By Derek Craddock

TEAM CANADA

P.A. woman heading to Finland for World Football Championships

May 24, 2022 | 5:00 PM

A Prince Albert woman will soon be wearing the red and white at the Women’s Football World Championships this summer.

Ashley Vicklund is currently an offensive line coach for the Bantam River Riders as well as a player with the Saskatoon Valkyries of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League (WWCFL).

She will be playing on the offensive for Team Canada for the tournament which starts July 27 in Finland.

Vicklund said she was left speechless when she found out she made the team.

“I think my mind went blank when I opened the email and saw that I had made it. There wasn’t anything left to go through, I was just too excited. I couldn’t believe it.”

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This isn’t the first time she’s represented Canada as she played in the 2017 World Championships, where they lost in the final to the United States on their home turf in Langley, B.C.

In fact, Canada and the United States have met in all the gold medal games since the tournament was first held in 2010.

Growing up in Prince Albert, Vicklund always wanted to try football but said other than a Co-Ed team, there weren’t many opportunities for her.

“I was scared to play with the boys so when I moved down to Regina and the WWCFL was starting and there was a women’s teams coming up, I was just really excited to get a chance to play this full-contact sport.”

Vicklund has been working hard to get ready for the World Championships on top of her games with the Valkyries and coaching the U18 Sask team in Regina this summer.

“A month after the WWCFL season and we leave for Finland and then once we’re in Finland we will have a week of training camp and then the tournament starts on July 27th with the championship being played on Aug. 8.”

“Last time I got to play in 2017 and I think we had a week in between so at least we have a few extra weeks this time,” said Vicklund.

As she prepares for this next chapter in her football career, Vicklund is hoping she won’t be the last woman from Prince Albert to reach for their dreams in the sport.

“Looking to find more women that are interested in driving to Saskatoon to be a part of the Valkyries with me or like talk to me if you want to know more about football, educate them or give them their first chance (to) put on a helmet and pads. If there’s anyone else there that has always been interested in football this year to play with the boys they’re welcome to reach out and I can help them live that dream.”

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @pa_craddock