(Submitted photo/Prince Albert Minor Football)

By Derek Craddock

LOCAL VALKYRIE

P.A. football player living her dream in Saskatoon

May 6, 2022 | 4:00 PM

A Prince Albert football player is feeling on top of her game as she is a part of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League (WWCFL) this season.

Rebecca Grimard, who played with the P.A. River Riders is a member of the Saskatoon Valkyries, which started their 2022 season last weekend.

In the first game of the season, the Valkyries beat the Manitoba Fearless, 43–14 at home.

In an interview with paNOW, Grimard said it still feels surreal that she is a part of the team this year.

“I’ve been playing football for six years so it’s kind of been like climbing to the top cause I’ve always wanted to be with the Valkyries,” she said. “I’ve had two female coaches that have coached me and they pushed me to go over there and it just kinda feels unreal because I’ve been wanting it for a long time.”

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For Grimard, her love for the sport of football came naturally, despite knowing nothing about the game just a few years ago.

“I just saw a pamphlet in school, and I was like ‘oh, that looks interesting’. So, I asked my parents and when I first tried out, I instantly fell in love with it. Being on a co-ed team, especially being female, you don’t know if you’re going to fit in or not and they started me right away and the coaches were excellent with me, and they encouraged me to go further.”

The Valkyries and the rest of the WWCFL are playing for the first time in two years after COVID restrictions cancelled the 2020 and 2021 campaigns.

The team played just three games last summer against their provincial rivals, the Regina Riot.

Grimard said the team has been practicing since the beginning of this calendar year and they continue to train hard to defend their championship from 2019.

She’s hoping her hard work and success in the world of football will inspire other girls from Prince Albert to do the same.

“At least try football for once and hopefully they love it as much as I do. It’s so awesome going from not knowing anything to actually playing in a big team full of women. I wish to encourage younger girls to keep on with their dreams and know that you actually have a team here that you can go play with and go so many places with.”

The Valkyries’ next game is scheduled for May 15 as they head to Manitoba to face the Winnipeg Wolfpack.

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derek.craddock@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @pa_craddock