Sarah Wright, Saskatoon Valkyries Running Back | EP5

Welcome to Good Sports! Sit down with Ryan Flaherty as he discusses this week in Saskatoon's exciting sports scene! Our feature interview for episode four is Saskatchewan Valkyries running back, Sarah Wright!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Whatever makes you happy, what gets you out of bed,
whatever kicks the cop webisode, you'll join in instead of
Victorious day Dream, Don's with Glory of Fame.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Fin we all on the same team. That is the
name of the game.

Speaker 3 (00:34):
That's the magical song that tells you it is time
for another episode of Good Sports. Welcome, Welcome, Welcome into
the Dufferin Avenue Media Network mothership. I am Ryan Flaherty
and this is episode five. We are trucking right along,
and boy do we have a great episode in store
for you this week. Joining me on the show from
the Saskatoon Valkyries stud running back Sarah Wright, as the

(01:00):
Ancheries are on a quest for their fifth straight Western
Women's Canadian Football League title. They are playing the Regina
Riot this very weekend for a spot in the championship game,
and should they win that contest, they will be headed
to Alberta next weekend for the final the league championship
on June twenty eighth. So Sarah Wright giving me some

(01:21):
time in a week leading up to a Prairie Conference
championship game, we really do appreciate that. So we've got
a great conversation coming up with Sarah of course, you
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(01:42):
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(02:03):
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(02:24):
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that you need to know, all right. As with all
every episode, we start off with what's going.

Speaker 4 (02:44):
On copyright penning on that, but.

Speaker 3 (03:03):
We appreciate the four non blondes taking part in the show.
Let's start off with the Saskatoon Berries, shall we, because
the berries are red hot. I know hot pie is
a bit of a controversial subject. People don't some people
don't like it. But if the Saastoon and berries are
in a pie right now, that is piping hot right
out of the oven because they are on an absolute heater.

(03:24):
As of recording this episode, the Berries had won six
straight games and thirteen of fourteen really after losing their
first game of the season, sitting thirteen and two first
place overall in the Western Canadian Baseball League. Now by
the time this episode comes out, they could well have
extended that streak by a few games, but that's where
they stand as I sit here right now recording this.

(03:46):
What a run they are on. Of course, we had
Carter Beck on the show last week. That was at
the start they had just lost a game. Since that interview,
they reeled off six straight games, So we're gonna credit
Carter Beck's appearance on the show again the good sports pump.
It's back once again. The Berries are riding it now.
But just a fantastic start for the Saskatoon Berries. They

(04:07):
have some home games coming up. You might want to
check them out over the weekend Saturday and Sunday. They're
taking on the newest team in the WCBL, that being
the Energy City Cactus Rats. That's right, Energy City Cactus Rats.
If you're running where the heck is Energy City, it
is in Spruce Grove, Alberta, just west of Edmonton, Spruce Grove.

(04:28):
They're calling it Energy City. They've got a brand new
ballpark that actually isn't quite done yet, so the Cactus
Rats have been playing home games at other teams ballfields
to start the season. It would be nice if a
team that's new to the league would have it's field
ready to go when they start up, but hey, I'm
not out there. Maybe they ran into some issues with construction.
They're hoping, I think, to have that park ready to

(04:48):
go by July. But in the meantime, some other WCBL
teams are being friendly neighbors. I think Silvan Lake is
one of the teams that has hosted some Energy City games.
The cactus rats. And if you're running what that is,
it's a porcupine. Cactus rats are in town here in
Sasatoon in June twenty first and twenty second. Of course,
Saturday games six o'clock at next Gen Patrick Karensfield. Sunday's
game is a one o'clock first pitch and then a

(05:12):
home and home with the Regina Red Sox after no
no off day. They'll they'll be in Regina on Monday
the twenty third and then back home to host the
Socks on June twenty fourth. That is a Tuesday night.
And that's as far as we'll go with the coming
up schedule for the Berries, but certainly hop on that bandwagon.
There's always room for more in the Jam fam and

(05:34):
the Berries are riding that wave right now. They are,
as I say, hype and hot right now, thirteen and
two as we record this episode, not so hot right now.
In fact, quite the opposite are the Saskatchewan Rattlers. They
are riding this struggle bus right now. They have fallen
to two and seven as of this taping, after a

(05:55):
couple of losses over the weekend, one on Home Floor
one oh one ninety three at the hands of the
Scarborough Shooting Stars, and then a loss in Winnipeg ninety
one eighty four to the Winnipeg Sea Bears. That one
was probably a tougher pill to swallow because playing on
the other side last year's Rattlers star at least for

(06:16):
the first half of the season, Jalen Harris, but he
is now a Winnipeg Sea Bear, and he had a
thirty point night I think was thirty one to be exact,
in the win over the Rattlers, who are now two
and seven again as of this recording. They are playing
on the road a couple of games over the weekend

(06:36):
Friday night, which will likely have already finished by the
time this episode goes live. They're play facing the Brandon
Honey Badgers, who themselves are two and seven, certainly a
winnable game there. In fact, they're all winnable. The Rats
just need to make those wins happen. And then they
take on the Montreal Alliance, who as of this taping
are four and two. They played fewer games earlier in
the season did the Alliance, but so a couple of

(06:59):
games out east for the Rattlers. Their next home game
until June twenty sixth, that'll be when they host the
Calgary Surge. So Rattlers trying to get something going. They're
already a third of the way through the season, and
with Winnipeg hosting championship weekend this year, that means fewer
playoff spots available in the Western Conference. That just adds
to the urgency for the Rattlers to start putting some

(07:20):
wins together. You take out their two losses to Vancouver,
the other five losses have all been within reach. They
just need to find a way to get over the hump.
You feel like if they do, they can really start
to win some games. But they're up against it right now,
so we'll see if maybe they can do some damage
on the road, where they've earned both of their two
wins this season. Another team that is scuffling right now

(07:43):
is the Junior acis Scotch when swat that win streak
or pardon me, that losing skid that dates back to
twenty twenty two is still ongoing. There now zero to
eleven on the season. After dropping a pair of games
at home against the top team in the Rocky Mounta
Lacrosse League Junior A Raiders, the Placeless Junior A Raiders.
They play out of Calgary, but they just go by

(08:06):
the Junior A Raiders and they are the number one
team in the league this year. They are undefeated. If
you want some positives, from the first of those two matchups,
the Squat matched their goal total from their first two
games against the Raiders this year. They had only scored
a total of four goals in their two first two

(08:26):
losses to the Raiders. They actually hung eight on the
Raiders on Saturday, but it was a fourteen to eight loss,
and then that stingy Raider defense got stingy again in
the rematch on sun the Sunday game, which was a
thirteen to three final. So the Swat now zero to eleven.
They've played all their home games for the regular season.
Their last four games all be on the road to

(08:48):
this weekend as they go to Calgary to first face
the Calgary Mountaineers on Saturday and then those same Raiders
on Sunday. They'll finish up the season a couple weeks
after that in Edmonton against the Miners. So the SWAT
still looking for that elusive victory. The good news is
they'll be in the playoffs because all four teams in

(09:09):
the league playing in the playoffs math is almost guaranteed
at this point they will be playing the Raiders in
that first round, which will be a best of seven series.
So we'll keep you posted on that schedule once we
know what that is. All right, Moving right along, let's
talk some Hall of Fame, shall we. The Saskatoons Sports
Hall of Fame announced its class of twenty five earlier

(09:33):
this week. It is an eleven member induction class. The
induction ceremony will take place on November first. This year's
class includes five athletes, three builders, two teams, and one
sports organization, which they tell me is different from a team,
but it is in fact different. Let's run through the
inductees real quick for you, Starting with the athletes at

(09:57):
the top of the list. Jillian Galleys a former six
time national championship wrestler, twenty fourteen World Championship bronze medalist,
and twenty sixteen Olympian. Jillian Galley's in the sport of wrestling.
She was part of this year's induction class. Joining her
is Janet Gattinger in track and field. Now. At the

(10:19):
time of her athletic exploit, she was Janet Scott when
she was a member of the Huskies track and field
team in the nineteen eighties. In fact, one of her
Husky teams is already an inductee in the Sasatoon Sports
Hall of Fame, but herself, Gattinger, a two time All
Canadian and has the second highest score all time for

(10:40):
a Husky in the pentathlon, so she is in the
class of twenty twenty five. Another track and field athlete,
Ryan Hevidsen vidstdon't excuse me, a Husky's former Huskies pole
vaulter and a two time All Canadian. He's going into
the Sasakoon Sports Hall of Fame. So too is Marcia
Jackson formerly Marsha Portius. Very good with a racket in

(11:01):
her hands, a former provincial women's singles tennis champion, but
also very good in squash and badminton, so she's going
in in the racket sports category. And the final athlete
inductee is Larry Pavlov, longtime member of the softball community
here in Saskatoon. He was on a member of thirteen

(11:21):
different provincial Senior eight softball championship teams between nineteen seventy
four nineteen eighty nine. Also a three time Canadian Senior,
a All Star and a ten time Provincial Masters softball champion,
so very very impressive resume for him. So that runs
out the athlete class. As for the teams, one of
them is the Sherry Anderson Senior Women's curling teams of

(11:45):
twenty sixteen through twenty three. That includes Patty Hersecorn, Brenda Gertzen,
and Annita Silvernagel. Together they have won five Canadian Senior
women's curling titles and three World championships. And while Sherry
Anderson has been piling up set your title, she still
was qualifying for Scotti's as well. That's how good she
is on the ice. Sounds like she's going to be
doing coach some more coaching this next season rather than playing.

(12:08):
But I don't think she's quite ready to hang up
her broom just yet. The other team being inducted this
year the fair Haven Bowl five pin girls bowling teams
from nineteen ninety eight to two thousand, winners of three
straight national titles, the only girls teams in the age
fourteen to eighteen category that have ever done that in
Canadian history. So they're going into the Saskatoon Sports Hall

(12:32):
of Fame in the team categories also very quickly the
builders of being inducted this year, Don Headman in track
and field, Mark Millard in soccer, and a name a
lot of people in Saskatoon know and used to watch
on their own TVs. I certainly did. Peter Lobardius is
going in as a broadcaster, someone who certainly maybe had
an indirect hand in me behind the mic as well.

(12:53):
I had a lot of memories of watching him on
sports Line back in the day here in Saskatoon at STV,
which I eventually worked for, as well as a member
of Global Saskatoons. So Peter Labarti is also going in.
The organization of the year, by the way, is the
Saskatoon Diving Club. So there are your inductees for the
twenty twenty five class for the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame.

(13:16):
Congrats to all of them. Should be a fun party
November first at Prairie Land Park and maybe we'll try
to get one or two of them on the show.
As that ceremony nears in the fall, we'll filew that
one away. And finally, last item here and what's going on.
We're going to the ice A. Congratulations going out to Berkeley. Catton,

(13:37):
hockey player from right here in Saskatoon, played a little
bit of his Triple A hockey with the Saskatoon Contacts
before heading off to Shattuck Saint Mary's, that same school
that Cidney Crosby attended before he went to the Western
Hockey League. He's played for the Spokane Chiefs. He's coming
off back to back one hundred point seasons with the
Spokane Chiefs. He was also drafted in the first round,

(13:57):
eighth overall by the Seattle Kraken last year in the
NHL Entry Draft, and this week he was named the
Canadian Hockey League Sportsman of the Year. And that is
the award that goes out to the most sportsman like
player in Canadian major junior hockey. All of the national
HL awards basically take the league award winners of all

(14:18):
the categories and then they pick one out of those
four or one out of those three players, and Catton
is this year Sportsman of the Year. He's actually the
second straight player from the Saskatoon to win the award.
Braydon Yeager was the CHL Sportsman of the Year in
twenty twenty four. And there's a third Saskatonian who has
won it previously, not being Rourke Chartier who won it

(14:39):
back in twenty fifteen. I believe so Saskatoon, I guess
we produced some very gentlemanly players here in Saskatoon other
than Gordy how So, I guess you get the Gordy
Howe and then you get all the guys on the
other side. But congrats to Berkeley Catton, your chl Sportsman
of the Year. And that wraps up what's going on

(15:01):
all right. Time down to welcome in this week's guest.
And she's got a big game coming up this week,
and in fact, by the time this episode comes out, may
have already played it. Not sure exactly yet when the
episode is going to be officially released, So we're gonna
maybe talk a little bit about the game, even though
potentially when you see this it may have happened already.
But just stick with us. She's a running back for
the Saskatoon Valkyries and one of the top players on

(15:24):
the team, big piece of the offense, and going for
another championship. In fact, the Valkyries are gutting for an
unprecedented fifth straight WWCFL title this season. But first they
have to get past their arch rivals, the Regina Riot.
So welcome Sarah Wright. Sarah, first of all, thank you
for being here. Another great regular season. Let's let's quickly

(15:49):
touch on that four and oh regular season for the Valkyries,
but not maybe necessarily the same sort of like domination
that maybe we've seen in other years. You guys have
really been pushed pretty hard in most of those games.

Speaker 5 (16:02):
Yeah, I think it's for sure been a better year
for the whole league. I think as a whole every
team's getting better, and though we've had some kind of
turnover and players, i think our team's kind of stepped
up to the challenge and really have grown as a
team and have shown that through the regular season.

Speaker 6 (16:21):
So we're excited heading into playoffs.

Speaker 3 (16:24):
It is the Regina Riot, and we will will get
to the game itself sort of towards the end, but
just very quickly. You've played them twice already this year,
seventeen to seven at home and then a sixteen nothing
when in Regina, those are always the games. I'm sure
that you're the most amped up for, right, the Regina.

Speaker 6 (16:42):
Games for sure.

Speaker 5 (16:43):
Yeah, Like there are biggest rivals and it's always a
fun game to play like.

Speaker 6 (16:49):
You just can't.

Speaker 5 (16:49):
It can't get better than a Regina Saskatoon rivalry, I think.
And they're a very good team and we love playing them,
love kind of upping our level of game every week
to go play them. So this weekend will be exciting.

Speaker 3 (17:03):
It will be and we will have more on that
as we go along. But I'm going to hit the
rewind button here because you're here in the studio. We've
got plenty of times, so I want to get maybe
the Sarah Wright football origin story. Let's start out just
with your time with the Valkyries. What was your How
many years have you been with the team now?

Speaker 6 (17:20):
Oh, it's hard to quite remember.

Speaker 5 (17:22):
I started in twenty seventeen, so I think that's around
like eight or nine With COVID, I'm not one hundred
percent right off, Yeah, exactly, so about eight or nine years. Yeah,
started in twenty seventeen, kind of came out of high
school rate into Valkyries, started playing flag before that, and

(17:42):
then Yeah, a lot of shoulder taps to come play,
and a lot of my teachers are already playing, so
I wanted to come try it out. And I've been
there since.

Speaker 3 (17:52):
So that's how a lot of the players kind of
come in right or at least having the over the
years is through flag or through through other sports, and
they have teachers or coaches who have kind of identified them.
So you said you did play some flag. Was that
your first, you know, football experience, and how did you
sort of gravitate towards the sport of football.

Speaker 5 (18:15):
I yeah, multi sport athlete, kind of growing up like hockey, basketball,
soccer kind of the main the main sports in Saskatchewan.
But then in high school a group of US multi
sport athletes throw in a team to go to nationals
UH in Regina, and I fell in love with flag
and just football in general, and we were able to

(18:38):
kind of keep playing that at a competitive level, being
able to go to like Regina and Halifax and Pei,
and then after that and through kind of the community
from that and teachers and everything like that.

Speaker 6 (18:52):
With Valkyries, it just kind of seemed like the path
I knew I was going to take.

Speaker 5 (18:57):
Like I was able to go to some campst high
school and I knew that that's where I wanted to
end up. And so it was a really cool kind
of progression of skill.

Speaker 6 (19:08):
I guess as well I.

Speaker 5 (19:09):
Got to learn a lot of the kind of niche
like catching, running, all of those types of things before
I had to get tackled.

Speaker 6 (19:17):
And then and then in came that tackling part.

Speaker 5 (19:21):
I can't say I can tackle very well, but I
mean I know how to get tackled, so that kind
of saves me in my position.

Speaker 3 (19:27):
Well, there's there's there is something to that to how
to be how to how to be tackled as well.
Go back to this sort of the decision to kind
of make a team and go to this was it
just we want like sitting around the lunch like what
how does this kind of come up in conversation? Like
what is the genesis of that?

Speaker 5 (19:46):
I actually had a parent of a friend who also
played flag. Their whole family like the Thorstads. Yes they're
big in football, big football family. And so Brian actually
just knew that I was Corey's friend and Reid's friend
and have played sports and that I was athletic, and

(20:07):
he was like, we're throwing a team and I think
you should come come try it out, play see how
you like it is. They just were looking for athletes
and then I actually found out that I was actually
pretty okay at it, so I kind of took that on.
And then the rush league started as well when I
was in grade ten, and that kind of also kept

(20:30):
growing too.

Speaker 6 (20:31):
And so.

Speaker 5 (20:32):
Flag football was an easy thing to kind of aim towards,
and it was outside of a bunch of other sports
seasons as well, So it was really nice to not
have to pick and.

Speaker 3 (20:43):
Choose, yes, especially if you're like a sports sports junk
and you want to play all this sport that is
that's I mean, how many people do we know in
high school that had to make that decision between say
football and soccer or something like that, And it's always
a tough, tough one there at what school was this
Walt Walter Murray? Okay, I almost went there. I almost
went there, but I didn't. I was a Bedford kid,

(21:04):
but long before long we would not have been there
at the same time. I long graduated. But I actually
got to know Brian Thwarts dad when in his role
at the Triple SAD when he was the advisor, if
you will, to overseer for high school sports, and that
was when I was working at Global Saskatoons. So I
dealt Brian and I chatted fairly regularly and of course

(21:24):
you mentioned Corey and Reid, they're both Valkyries have been
a part of the valkyriese as well. So what was
it about football that, like you, that you took a
shine too? I guess, like what made it so enjoyable?

Speaker 5 (21:36):
Honestly it it's a very like selfless game in a sense,
like a team game, but it's also a very selfish
game at the same time, Like once you do know
you're getting the ball, you're you're getting as many yurds
as you possibly can, You're scoring those touchdowns if you can,
You're tackling those people, But at the.

Speaker 6 (21:57):
End of the day, it's for the person beside you.
And though I played hockey and basketball.

Speaker 5 (22:03):
And all of those other things, I think like being outside,
being with my best friends and getting to play something
that was new, I think kind of made it very
like shiny and very attractive to me. And then I
just kind of was able to get coached by a
lot of really good people and really like shaped me

(22:25):
as a player growing up. And I was playing with
some great people and like good teams and it just
kind of was addicting.

Speaker 3 (22:35):
That helps. That helps when you have some success early on. Yeah,
exactly sure. That's flag though, like making the move to
tackle as a that's a that's a pretty significant move.
Was that intimidate? Was there an intimidation factor there or
how what was the mindset and did something didnyone have
to kind of sell sell you on it or were

(22:57):
you driving that bus? I made the move.

Speaker 5 (22:59):
I did a couple of the camps, which were awesome,
and I really enjoyed myself.

Speaker 6 (23:04):
It was a great introduction.

Speaker 5 (23:06):
But that first year when I came in, I first
went to receiver because of flag, you're a receiver, and
I like it was a little intimidating, Like there's some
older girls and I'm eighteen, right out of high school.

Speaker 6 (23:22):
But they all took me under their wing.

Speaker 5 (23:24):
And actually Julian Friesen, who was one of the Valkyrie's greats,
she kind of just grabbed my arm as like you're
coming to running back and I have never looked back.
So it was just a really cool experience being able
to not only be coached by a great coaching staff,
but these players that have so much knowledge of the

(23:46):
game and have played so much taking me under their
wing and just kind of being like this is how
it is and learning from them as well.

Speaker 3 (23:55):
What was the biggest adjustment. I mean, obviously it's a game,
but I mean in terms of you're not only going
to tackle, you're switching to become running back. So what
was that What was that learning curve? Like that first year,
it was a.

Speaker 6 (24:09):
Big winning curve, I would say, like the rules. Also,
like I've watched the CFL, NFL here and there.

Speaker 5 (24:17):
I'm not an avid watcher, but I could follow. But
when I got put in the game, I was like,
oh my gosh, I have no idea what's going on,
and like just like change of possessions and like understanding
like penalties and three yards or yeah, three downs to
get ten yards and all of the kind of backbones

(24:40):
of the game. I was like, oh my gosh, this
is a lot to learn. But having twelve other people
or eleven other people around me at all times being like, hey,
this is what we're doing, it was a cool challenge
and right away I kind of.

Speaker 6 (24:57):
Picked it up and was able to enjoy myself.

Speaker 5 (25:01):
I wasn't too stressed, but it was just like lots
of fun and yeah, it was a challenge, but I
was definitely up for it.

Speaker 3 (25:10):
I imagine blocking too and just knowing the schemes, because
as you say, like in flag, it's like, you know,
you have your center snaps the ball, but everyone else
is pretty just running their own patterns and you know
who the ball is maybe supposed to go to, but
there's no you're not allowed to block in flag. So
I imagine that was a pretty new thing as well

(25:30):
for you, right, and in terms of like, oh, this
plays not for me, but I still have a role
to play no matter what.

Speaker 5 (25:36):
To play is exactly, and like also just being able
to like break down film and looking at what defense
is doing and trying to kind of pick apart this
puzzle that you're both trying to play at the same
time and don't know what each other are doing. It's
such an awesome concept to like think about. But oh,

(25:57):
for sure, like I I was like, oh, I need
to remember to, yeah, do my job on every single play,
and if you're not getting the ball, you got to
help help your teammate out. So it's never a dull moment,
that's for sure.

Speaker 3 (26:12):
So I mean, you know, we're not even having really
scraped the service effect that this is. You know, women's
tackle football. This is not something that a lot of
people even get the opportunity to play, right, I mean
this is I I certainly haven't scoured the every corner
of the internet, but I I mean this to this
is to me, the pre eminent tackle league in the country.
I would say, I mean, there's Quebec has a pretty decent,

(26:35):
decent sort of core of players, but that's like this
is kind of one of the power centers of women's
tackle football. How I mean I say power, I mean
there's empowerment as well, Like how how what's how much
does that factor into your enjoyment or your your desire
to play?

Speaker 5 (26:55):
I think not only myself, but everyone within this sport
and anyone who's talked about this sport talks about empowerment
and how the growth of football like in a male
dominated sport, like just like hockey, just like lacrosse. Football
is a lot of people think about CFL NFL when

(27:18):
someone says football, and so trying to change that narrative
and say we can do it too, and like our
games are so exciting and like we hit hard and
hit like run fast, and like our games just yeah,
there's a lot of excitement around it. And so just

(27:39):
being able to be a part of that and talk
about it as well is really exciting and empowering, just
because it's not something that's as popular, say now as
flag football is. So we still need to do our
job and try and promote and get as many girls
into it as possible. And I think that's even more

(28:02):
evident kind of moving forward just so that our game
can continue.

Speaker 3 (28:07):
And I definitely have some some I want to ask
you a bit about that, But I was just thinking,
like it's really easy like for as a as a
man like and but being in the local sports sort
of community, I'm almost in a different silo as well.
Whereas like it feels like this is normal because I've
covered the team since twenty fifteen or whatever in some

(28:28):
capacity for sure, But then you take it to zoom
out and you recognize this is this is kind of
a unique. This is unique within within the sport within Canada.
And so I'm curious because you weren't, you know, you
weren't part of the team right in the those very
first few years when they were really just trying to,
you know, make a case for viability. But have you

(28:49):
like do you have you or do you encounter resistance
or people who say, what are you doing that sport
or or is there much of that or how is
like the environment like outside of sort of the people
that know you well, but like people maybe one more
casual basis. Have you ever had to deal with that?

Speaker 5 (29:09):
I would not really, which is very like I'm I'm
amazed by Yes, I do have a lot of questions sometimes,
like we get bruises and so it's just like it's.

Speaker 6 (29:23):
Just like, yes, what's going on. But I'm like, I'm.

Speaker 5 (29:28):
I'm playing tackle football, and it's always like, oh, that's cool,
like awesome, and you know what, like the name of
the Valkyries, especially in Saskatoon, it's becoming so much more
well known. And that's that's all that we could hope for,
right and trying to get local fans out to our
games and to support us and and us support the

(29:49):
community back, just because just as much as everyone supports us,
we want to make sure that we're we're giving back
as well and and feeding back into kind of what
is making us well known.

Speaker 3 (30:03):
It's it sounds like then it's a pretty healthy support
environment than around it. Whether it's I mean, obviously the
people who are directly involved with the team with the
league are going to be Palm's wave in but it
sounds like the everyone around you, at least the majority
of those folks around whoever's involved, are also throwing their
chips on the table too.

Speaker 6 (30:21):
Definitely.

Speaker 5 (30:21):
Yeah, Like I've had so many like positive encounters with
just people asking and and we're slowly getting our name
into like partnerships with more like business local businesses and
everything like that and having people ask, which is awesome
because again, we just want to make sure that we're

(30:42):
giving as many opportunities for women to play tackle football,
and hopefully we will have many, many more years.

Speaker 6 (30:51):
Of that to come.

Speaker 3 (30:52):
It's funny. So are you a de grassy fan at all.

Speaker 6 (30:54):
Or I have watched a little bit.

Speaker 3 (30:56):
I was just just very very just this cool coincidentally
happened the other night. I was channel surfing and I
came across an episode is There's where there's a character
that played on the on the football team. Yeah, this
is in like the Next Class or the Next Generation
version of the show. There's a lot of iterations in
the show, but her name is the character's name is Jane,
and she gets like beaten up by teammates who don't

(31:18):
want her on the team. Now, that's obviously that's a
little bit different scenario. She's playing on a boys team
and that is that environment too, But I just kind
of was kind of struck by almost the sort of
quaintness of that storyline in some regards, because that episode
is probably twenty years old now. But now we're seeing,
you know, women not only playing football but also making

(31:40):
breakthroughs into the men's side. Right, you're one of your
own teammates. Em ray Dale played with the Hilltops for
a year. We saw Maya Turner, who's a kicker with
the Manitoba Bisons, who's played the last couple of years.
When you see those sort of strides, like, what does
what's your reaction to that?

Speaker 6 (31:57):
Oh gosh?

Speaker 5 (31:57):
We were also excited happy for him, and she is
the player to have that opportunity, Like I've never seen
someone that works that hard in the off season, in season,
all that stuff, but just that happening and that potential,
I think is something that kind of has something for

(32:20):
us to strive for, right, and and not everyone's gonna
have that opportunity, but for that to have happened and
to say we're breaking those barriers, it's just an incredible moment.
And now we're seeing tons more girls involvement in high
school like predominantly boys football, but there's tons of girls

(32:42):
that are trying out and making those teams and then
coming to play for us, which is amazing because they
already have some years of experience under their belt. And
then also us trying to incorporate more opportunities such as
the Fate League within Saska Tune and having having girls

(33:03):
try tackle football within whatever means we can. But it
just it's it's amazing that Emma got that opportunity and
it really shows what we can do.

Speaker 3 (33:15):
Yeah, yes, I mean again, we were talking about a
game that when you have so many different positions too,
like there's there's plenty of opportunities there. I mean really
when it just comes down to like can you perform?
Can you do the job that you're being asked to do? Right?
The evolution you talk about that, the growth and the
number of players that you're I mean, even this year's
team strikes me to be as probably one of the

(33:35):
youngest teams that you've ever had. But how have you
seen that evolutions in your time with the team, Because
I remember, I'm you know, a couple of years ago
I did a bit of a feature on the team
and talking with some of the long time players then
and also even coaches who had previously been players, and
saying like, how many more players are now arriving with
a much higher like baseline. Yes, knowledge and skill set?

(33:59):
Are you seen that?

Speaker 6 (34:00):
Oh for sure?

Speaker 5 (34:00):
And I think that's a credit to more opportunity, just
like in twenty eleven, this was like there was bare bones,
kind of first time ever trying to tackle football and
Saskatoon and that's how the Valkyries came about. But from
that and from having flag leagues and having more girls

(34:22):
try to tackle football in high school and having fate,
so much more of that kind of groundwork in football knowledge.

Speaker 6 (34:31):
Has been done and is coming up into.

Speaker 5 (34:34):
Our team, and a lot of the girls are now
coaching as well and giving back and so our I
think our knowledge is just kind of exceeding those expectations.
And so it's been really nice because our install is
very like everyone's just catching onto those concepts and grasping
what they're asking us, and we're able to incorporate more

(34:57):
complicated things.

Speaker 3 (34:58):
That's scary further rest of the league because they're trying
to catch you and here you are just like continually
raising your game as well. But you know when you
have are you are you coaching? Are you doing some
coaching yourself?

Speaker 6 (35:11):
I have done some coaching.

Speaker 5 (35:13):
I actually was coaching with Pat Berry at Evan Hardy
for a couple of years, the senior boys team there,
and then I've done a lot of like flight coaching
as well, and then also Fate as well.

Speaker 3 (35:26):
And for those who don't know, just explain what Fate is.

Speaker 5 (35:29):
Sorry, Yes, Fate is the I mean, yes, the female
tackle team in like in Saskatoon that any high school
girl can play. And so a couple of years ago
we were able to make three teams and play a
six a side six a side games against each other

(35:51):
and then one game against Regina, and so that was
a really cool opportunity. We weren't able to do it
last year, but we're hoping to do it again this year.

Speaker 3 (35:59):
And then with the flag stuff too. I noted too
there was even like a city championship, Like how many
years has that been going? Is that was that the
first time this year? Or was I just blind to it?

Speaker 5 (36:09):
Russia has been having kind of city and provincial championship
since since I was in high school, so about like
ten or so over ten years ago.

Speaker 6 (36:20):
And then what now is kind of coming in is.

Speaker 5 (36:23):
Like the Toon Squad League as well, which is just
kind of that like a different flag league where you're
able to try out for a team that travels.

Speaker 6 (36:32):
Into the States.

Speaker 5 (36:34):
And then there's also just like the Football sask Evolution,
which girls from you fourteen and upwards can try out for.

Speaker 3 (36:44):
And I know there's a lot of people that put
in a lot of work to make that happen. We
should give some love to Michelle Duchane because I know
she is like kind of a founder of a lot
of these things, and she's involved Silvall with your team
as well. Her daughter now plays for the Valkyrize, right,
is that correct, Jada? So I mean I will just
say a little bit about her and what she's done
for women's football.

Speaker 5 (37:05):
And I think Michelle has been the founder and pioneer
and the leader of.

Speaker 6 (37:12):
Women's football in Saskatchewan honestly, like.

Speaker 5 (37:14):
She was with the Valkyries in twenty eleven creating this
team and has been there every.

Speaker 6 (37:21):
Step of the way.

Speaker 5 (37:22):
She's also been one of the main people for the
Rush League and incorporating that into high schools and getting
girls out there and playing football and she's our manager
and she does it all and is like just just
incredible and like has so many hands and different things,

(37:42):
but she like balances it all perfectly, And couldn't say
many more good things about her, Like she's just incredible, one.

Speaker 3 (37:50):
Of those people that just think, you know, keeps things
humming along and don't even realize how much worked and
time they're really putting in. But because she just makes it,
because she clearly like has such a passion for the sport,
and so I certainly can't speak for her, but I'm
sure it does feel like a lot of work and
a lot of times, but it also you know, you
just it's more to recognize those people I think at

(38:12):
times that and you talk about the community of you've
already mentioned at least once about you know, you want
to give back the community as well. But like, tell
me a bit about what because obviously you play, you practice,
and you play, but there's so much more to it
than that. And this whole league is basically volunteer power,
Like you have to do a lot of the legwork yourselves, right,

(38:33):
So what what what? Just give us an idea of
sort of what goes on to sort of make this possible.
Like off the field, so.

Speaker 5 (38:41):
As many people know, it takes takes so many people
to make not even a team, but a league run,
and so there's tons of volunteers across Saskatchewan, Manitoba and
Alberta as well to make the WWCFL as a whole run.
But then each team is responsible to make sure that

(39:02):
they can pay for everything, travel, rent fields, do anything
and everything that they need to do to makes a
season successful, and that comes down to volunteers. We fundraise,
have sponsorships, making sure we're getting back into the community.

(39:23):
Doing all of those things take so much manpower and
we can't thank our friends, families, fans, volunteers, all of
the people that are involved. Without them, we wouldn't be
able to run.

Speaker 3 (39:38):
Do you what are those conversations like when you go
to local business or somewhere and sort of especially if
you're like cold calling our kind of you know, pitching
a new new sponsorship perhaps or trying to get someone
on board, like do you do you find this how
does the sales pitch work and how how much how

(40:00):
hard do you have to sell to or do you
find that people are really looking for opportunities to kind
of get involved.

Speaker 5 (40:06):
I would say that it's it is hard still in
the sense that like there are other teams that maybe
are a little bit bigger than us in the city
of Saskatoon, but we really want to reach out to
as many businesses or people or pretty much any community
as possible and make that really personalized. We really value

(40:29):
going to places and meeting people and saying hi, like
we're the Valkyries, this is what we stand for and
we want you to be a part of that, and
how can we also help you in return.

Speaker 6 (40:41):
So making sure that.

Speaker 5 (40:43):
We can have that kind of win win situation and
kind of building both of each other up at the
same time, we think is really important.

Speaker 3 (40:55):
Because it seems like, I mean, you've got a long
list of you know, you know, companies, individual sponsors that
are kind of in your corner, which is really really
cool to see because as you mentioned it is it
can get crowded, yes, and sometimes it's about identifying maybe
those organizations that have the means to you know, maybe
support more than one thing, or maybe an ideological kind

(41:19):
of symbiosis if you will, that they're like this is
something that their philosophy aligns with yours and that sort
of thing. So I bet that's probably pretty rewarding in
the end to sort of identify those.

Speaker 6 (41:30):
Oh for sure, as partnership.

Speaker 5 (41:32):
We're so thankful for anyone that does like sponsor us
or help us with any types of things during our season,
and we hope that we're giving them as much like
thanks as we possibly can within a two and a
half hour long football game.

Speaker 6 (41:51):
I know it's very hard.

Speaker 5 (41:52):
Sometimes and on social media and stuff like that, but
we truly couldn't run without their support, and so making
sure that they know how appreciative we are of their
support is really important to us.

Speaker 3 (42:06):
Balancing this because you know, it's a relatively short season,
but you're all either going to school or working or
you've all got lives that are not wouldn't it be
lovely if you could just be football players or at
least the literation of the season, right you all had,
you know, whether it was you know, supportive employers or
whatever that said, yeah you take take the week off

(42:27):
or whatever. Yeah, but just what's what does a week
look like during the season for you when when you're
you know, managing your life and but also want to
be you're at your best on the field.

Speaker 5 (42:39):
Well, it really comes down to a lot of like
mental preparation and stuff too. Like I remember being a
student at the beginning and having a lot more hours
in the day, which.

Speaker 6 (42:50):
Was a lot nicer.

Speaker 5 (42:51):
But now that I am in my career and working
full time job and trying to juggle valkyries, that and
the rest of life, you really do need to make
sure you're putting your energy kind of not you need
to spread it out for sure, and make sure that
you are kind of prept in every other aspect of

(43:13):
life so that you can come to football prepared as well,
and making sure that you're getting rest, eating well.

Speaker 7 (43:19):
You still need to work on that rest, doing all
of you can in the off season as well to
be prepared for the season, and just kind of making
sure that you're doing the best you can for your
body as well.

Speaker 5 (43:33):
Like a football game is very hard, it also gets
harder as you age sometimes, so making sure that you're
you're doing what's right for you after the games so
that you can get ready for the next weekend and
stuff too.

Speaker 3 (43:47):
Well, and you have I would this is an assumption,
but I have to think that of all the teams,
like you have the best support set up in terms
of the coaching staff, workout set up, the facilities, all
those sorts of things to sort of give you the
best opportunity of success. Right, Like, every time I've come

(44:08):
to a practice, I'm struck by just how many non
players are involved. Yeah, I mean, yes, even football, that's
generally the case, but like we're a small league, volunteer
power and all this stuff. These are all people who
are given their time as well. And then you've got
you know, conditioning coaches and all these sorts of things.
So just maybe, yeah, what does what does that all
look like for the for the Valkyries, Because it feels
like you have a very it feels like a professional operation.

Speaker 6 (44:31):
I would say, so.

Speaker 5 (44:32):
Yeah, Like I have never gone to a practice and
not been able to talk with someone if there I've
got a bumper or bruise or whatever it is. We
have an amazing training staff and I think at minimum
we at least have six or seven people there at
every practice in every game to be able to talk

(44:53):
with players, work through injuries, work through anything that they
need to get us back into playing. And those are
physio students, kin students, physiotherapists. We even have like a
team surgeon, team doctor who all come out to support
us and make sure that we're at the best we

(45:13):
can be for our games and our practices.

Speaker 6 (45:17):
Those sometimes we're a little stubborn, we do. We do
know that what they say is they're looking out for us.
And though football is one.

Speaker 5 (45:29):
Of the most important things in my life and in
many other people's lives, we also have a life to
live outside of football too, and they they take that
into account make sure that we can continue that life
without any detrimental thing is there.

Speaker 3 (45:47):
Do you have what sort of off season program or
programming do you have or is it all self directed
or do you guys do some group workouts in the office, Yeah,
weight room stuff, like what does that look like?

Speaker 5 (46:00):
We definitely a lot of it is like whatever people
can kind of make happen, make they may happen. But
we have had like definitely some group workouts at many
different gyms throughout Saskatoon, like they've all kind of supported
us differently throughout the years.

Speaker 6 (46:18):
We also have like.

Speaker 5 (46:19):
Running groups available doing like weights and a lot of
us actually just love to train together and team oh
for sure. And it's it's just a lot of fun
to kind of come back together after football. It's you're
not necessarily going into game time, but it's fun to
goof around and and have that team like environment while

(46:43):
also still working towards a goal.

Speaker 3 (46:45):
Is just remarkable because I mean, the unfortunate reality with
some of the teams has been that some years they're
they're struggling just to get enough players, whereas you've got
this whole like operation where it's, like I said, it
feels very much like a professional organization or you know,
it could be a Husky team or whatever, right like
a university squad. So what I guess, So that takes

(47:10):
me to ask, how do you see the next five
or ten years for this? Not necessarily even just for
the team, So I feel like, you know, you're more
in a refinement as as a team, but like in
terms of the league, how what would you like to see?
What what do you think we might see over the
next five to ten years in terms of you know,
the rest of the league and how they're kind of

(47:31):
you know, trying to not even necessarily catch up, but
just where do you see the evolution going?

Speaker 5 (47:36):
I I can kind of speak a lot for our
team and what I hope for it, But how I
like how we view our team is we're playing elite football,
and this is an elite sport outside of for women,
outside of high school. It's an opportunity to play at
a high level and be able to prepare for those

(47:58):
like even provincial or national teams as well. And what
we kind of hope for as a league is just
the growth on that and and really kind of also
refining itself and making sure that we can have that
longevity in the league because this football is great football,
and we can see that from the games that have

(48:19):
already happened this season, like they're they're close, they're everyone's
hitting hard, and it is some tough games out there,
but that's what's fun to watch and that's what's fun
to play. So the teams are getting better, and we
just hope that every team is also starting to get
the same opportunities that we have and getting those kind

(48:42):
of community partnerships and everything like that, as well as
even our team supporting like other teams and vice versa.

Speaker 3 (48:49):
It's always like you need to clone Michelle and get
one of her on each each on each team or
each organization. But you mentioned that the games these this year,
and I was struck as well, because I mean, I'm
sure all Valkyries fans love watching you guys just crush everyone.
But for the health of the league, it's it's good
to have some real competition, for sure. As much as

(49:10):
everyone would say, oh a Valks win, you can still
win the title every year, but maybe you just get
get pushed a little harder in the course of doing that.
And that's as it's a saying that I say way
too often. It makes me sound like someone who was
born in the nineteen twenties. But a rising tide lifts
all boats, right, So if it's good, if it brings
everyone up, that's good for everyone involved. I think. So

(49:35):
back to this sort of end of this year, because
you've got you know, potentially two games, maybe just one
by the time folks are seeing this again, not t
exactly when we're going to live with this episode, but
you're trying to chase it that that is, of all
the winning that the Valkyries have done, this is one
accomplishment haven't achieved yet, which is five straight won the

(49:55):
very first four titles from eleven to fourteen. Before you
were on the team, yes, and then re I actually
won three out of the next four, and there was
two years of COVID in there. Actually, the first of
this run of four straight was the year before the
two years off right twenty nineteen, So it's been Valkyries
since twenty nineteen. You've been hanging on to that title.

(50:16):
What's it going to take to make it five in
a row?

Speaker 5 (50:20):
I think that we are just going to keep doing
what we've been doing. We're preparing, We're putting in the
work on the field, off the field during chalk talks,
and pretty much just coming back down to what Valkyries
football is. I think once we start to overcomplicate things
and stuff, that's when we kind of can get a

(50:41):
little confused or kind of lose what the end goal is.
But once we kind of bring that back to what
we know we can do, we always seem to figure
out what we need and rely on some of our leaders,
coaching staff, pretty much our fan base and kind of
all come together.

Speaker 6 (51:01):
And keep going.

Speaker 3 (51:02):
I'm going to backtrack slightly because I did have a
follow up question that eluded me for a moment there,
which was just about this sort of time for women's
sports that we're in right now, I guess, and for
you being sort of it right in it at this
time obviously, I think we've seen it like with the WNBA,
I think sort of leading the in terms of the
visibility of women's sports. But it's really the interest and

(51:26):
the investment in it is really a lot more widespread
than that, and we've seen over the last five years
or so really post COVID, really yeah, this almost explosion.
What does it like to be in it at this
time like that? Is there an excitement level that of
all the possibilities that are that are there for sure?

Speaker 5 (51:44):
And I think seeing some of those leagues like the PWHL,
w NBA, even some other football in the US where
they've got some of these bigger leagues, I think just
the visibility portion has not only helped women's sport in general,
but helped women's football. And having aren't like the Valkyries

(52:09):
are known in many places. It's quite surprising actually, and
we have some fans kind of everywhere, but being able
to play elite football and to have our name out
there and the league's name out there and continue to
build on that, it feels surreal, like it is really

(52:31):
a cool opportunity for myself, all of these other players
that kind of for women's sport a lot of it.
If you didn't make university sports, you're kind of done
playing elite sports.

Speaker 6 (52:45):
And so now there's this opportunity.

Speaker 5 (52:47):
And that's why so many of our girls have come
to play, is because they were elite athletes in high
school and and wanted something else and could play something else.

Speaker 6 (52:59):
And we're so glad for that.

Speaker 5 (53:01):
But yeah, it's it's it's really cool how much the
game has grown, and I think it'll just continue to skyrocket.

Speaker 3 (53:10):
You got some competition in the brand space now, though,
because you're not the only Valkyries, right. The Golden State
Valkyrie is the newest team in the w n b A,
which is I think because I had never seen a
team called the Valkyries before yours, and that's the second.
I mean, it's a fantastic name and I understand why
they chose it as well. There's too many, too many

(53:30):
new teams these days. I got a lot of issues
with a lot of new team names. I love the
p w HL. Don't like almost all of the names
in that league, but that one is one I'm definitely
on board with. The I love that you mentioned that
elite sports piece the mental the mental health element, the
mental health aspect from what we're all talking about here, Like,

(53:53):
and there's so many, so much research and studies that
talk about women and girls in sport and when they
use those opportunities and what that effect that has them.
Can you just speak to the sort of the mental
health side of it just being involved in elite sport
and being on a team in a team sport especially for.

Speaker 5 (54:10):
Sure, And like, I think that there is a huge
difference even from like elite sport at a young age
too versus.

Speaker 6 (54:18):
Now as an adult.

Speaker 5 (54:20):
But I think that we have really surrounded our team
specifically with amazing people and I could go up to
any single person be like, you know what, I'm having
a bad day and they would be able to help
me out with that too.

Speaker 6 (54:32):
But it is mentally tough. Elite sport is always going
to be tough.

Speaker 5 (54:37):
But being able to have that supportive environment with your teammates,
with your coaches, with your training staff, it really comes
into play because yes, it's stressful, there's a lot of
pressure to continue to be elite and great and all
of these things, but at the end of the day.

Speaker 6 (54:58):
It is sport and you are.

Speaker 5 (55:00):
Are with forty five other females that are doing the
same thing, and you are playing for that next person
beside you.

Speaker 6 (55:08):
So it it. It is a big thing.

Speaker 5 (55:11):
And we're so lucky to be able to have that
opportunity and not have it just stop if you're not
able to go to university, to have those opportunities to
continue to grow and really having further opportunity to talk
about mental health in sport as well.

Speaker 3 (55:30):
And I mean the other or not on the other side,
but another element to that too is just having a
place where you're you're going right, Like a lot of
the players, like I don't know how to phrase this exactly,
but just yeah, have that community that you can go
to maybe even if maybe there's something in your life
that's not going great or whatever, you get oh I

(55:50):
got my team. Yeah, And what that can do for
you just to have that outlet, to have that available
to you, to have that sort of community around you
at as you get older exactly.

Speaker 5 (56:02):
And what I think a lot of people also forget
is that, yes, we are these athletes, but yeah, the.

Speaker 6 (56:10):
Rest of our lives.

Speaker 5 (56:12):
Who knows what's going on in those but being able
to kind of have that consistency in the team as well,
and being able to come back to something and it
be so great and uplifting, and to have those people
that I'm going to be lifelong friends with.

Speaker 6 (56:30):
I've met some of my best.

Speaker 5 (56:32):
Friends and they will be my best friends for the
rest of my life. And I know that I could
go to them for anything. So it's just a great
place to meet people, meet like minded people, to play
something that you all.

Speaker 6 (56:49):
Have the same goal of and and really come together.

Speaker 3 (56:52):
It strikes me. I spent a lot of time around
university athletics, and especially in the last few years of
traveling with various Husky teams and things, and what I'm
what I get struck by is the connection, the lifelong
connection that you talk about in terms of from alumni.
You know, I was at the National Basketball Championships back
in March with the women's Huskies women and there were

(57:14):
alumni events and some of the alumni, some of the
alumni that were there, We're talking sixties and seventies like Huskiettes,
and I just don't think that I don't think that
you have those same connections. As much as you might
be close, you have close friends in high school sports,
and I don't think it's quite the same thing. And
so to have a group, to have a team that

(57:36):
you were part of after high school, I feel that
that's really where you start to forge those those lasting connections.
I mean, you might, they're right, you got some rider dies.
I don't get me wrong, we all most of us do.
But I think that that that core that really comes
in your early adulthood then when you can really form
those So I think that's really cool thing about it too.
Talk about the fact that you have a pretty young

(57:57):
team this year. You have new quarterbacks? Right? Like?

Speaker 7 (58:00):
Not?

Speaker 3 (58:00):
Am I correct there?

Speaker 7 (58:01):
Right?

Speaker 3 (58:01):
You've had to change over a quarterback as a running back.
I'm totally shifting gears here, But I want to be
back to fooball beause getting closer to the end here,
and I want to sort of circle back to the
actual on the field stuff. What's that as a veteran
running back now working with new quarterbacks? But how do
you how do you approach that? How did you come
into this season knowing that you were kind of maybe
gonna help to sort of maybe provide some guidance even

(58:22):
if you're not a quarterback.

Speaker 5 (58:23):
Yourself for sure, and and honestly, credit credit to all
of our quarterbacks. They've come in and they've shown up.
They have put in the time in the off season.
During this season, they're asking questions, they're getting coached by
amazing coaches, and they are doing great.

Speaker 3 (58:44):
I like, I have record shows I know, I.

Speaker 6 (58:47):
Have no complaints, And honestly, like Julia has.

Speaker 5 (58:51):
Been amazing and she's really taken it in stride and
continues to amaze everyone. I never had any doubt in her, honestly,
like watching her practice with Alex for so long, like
she was learning from also one of the best at
the same time, and she really took this role and

(59:14):
ran with it, and I couldn't be more proud of her,
honestly it It is amazing to see how well she's
been doing well.

Speaker 3 (59:23):
The pressure ratchets up now and that you're into the playoffs,
obviously knowing that we're not you know, whether you have
played the game or not, but just in the in
the concept of having a potential opportunity to play for
that fifth straight championship. What would that mean to you
to make it five in a row.

Speaker 6 (59:42):
Well, it means everything.

Speaker 5 (59:44):
I'm I'm so excited for this weekend coming up and
for the rest of the season, like we have three
practices left.

Speaker 6 (59:53):
And that is that is it.

Speaker 5 (59:55):
But pretty much we've been preparing for this moment since
January even last year, like as soon as that final
is done, we're thinking towards the next one, right and
trying to best prepare ourselves for any situation. And all
I can say is we're prepared, and we're very excited

(01:00:16):
and we're ready to just give.

Speaker 3 (01:00:19):
Them hel there you go. It is, and I'll give
the times anyways, just in case because if we could
get this out in time one o'clock Saturday, June twenty
first SMF Field for the Prairie Conference Final that is
going to be against your ar rivals, the Regina Riot
and should you win that game, and we know you're
gonna win that game, either Edmonton or Calgary in that

(01:00:42):
win and that team's stadium for the championship, which is
exciting as too, because it's been a while since there's
been a game out championship game out Alberta, so that's good.
Again we talk about the growth and hopefully that game
is well attended as well, but be a little different
because I know you want it, you know, in Virginity
one here, but that's excited. I gotta be exciting regardless

(01:01:04):
to go on the road. Maybe get a be a
fun bus ride back for sure, Sarah, thanks so much
for being here. I really appreciate that the time and
continued success with the Valkyries. I know you get still
got a lot of years left in those legs. You're
still young veteran running back, but lots and lots of
football left in the tank. I'm sure, Sarah. Good luck

(01:01:25):
with the rest of the season and that fifth championship.

Speaker 6 (01:01:27):
You so much fun.

Speaker 3 (01:01:30):
Well, I could probably continue to sit here and chat
with Sarah for another hour or so, but we gotta
we gotta get things going, and she had to go
play some flag football of course, because of course the
football love never subsides. So thanks again to Sarah for
being here. But before we go, we do want to
give out our good sport of the week, and this
week we will go down to the United States and

(01:01:53):
salute Savannah Sutherland, the pride of Bordon, Saskatchewan, University of
Michigan track at Fleet and also was a member of
the Canadian Olympic track team in Paris last year. As
she at the NC DOUBLEA National Championships in Eugene, Oregon,
she smashed her own Canadian record in the four hundred

(01:02:14):
meter hurdles, clocking a time of fifty two point four
to six seconds. Her previous record was almost a full
second higher than that, It was fifty three point two
five seconds. She shaved almost eight tenths of a second
off of her own Canadian record. It's also a new
NC double A record and NC double A Championship meet

(01:02:35):
record for Savannah Sutherland and uh it's the second now
since one other athlete has since flocked a faster time,
so it is now the third fastest time in the
world this year for a woman in the four hundred
meter hurdles, and that covers all levels of track and field. Savannah,
of course, the previous or pardon me, the previous NC

(01:02:58):
double A record holder with Sidney McLaughlin lvarn was fifty
two point seven to five seconds, So she also beat
the NC DOUBLEA record by almost three tenths of a second.
And that to give you an idea of who that
is whose record she broke at the NCUBA level. Sidney
McLaughlin Lvaron is the current Olympic champion and world record
holder and one of only two women who have clocked

(01:03:20):
a faster time in the four hundred meter hurdles this year.
Savannah finished seventh at the Paris Olympics last year, was
the first Canadian woman to reach a four hundred meter
hurdles final at the Olympic Games since nineteen ninety six.
And she is still quite young in her track career.
So you know, looking ahead to Los Angeles twenty twenty eight,

(01:03:41):
and we might have ourselves a metal contender on our hands,
but setting records, breaking her own records. Savannah Sutherland is
our Good Sport of the week and that wraps up
another edition of Good Sports. And please do like and
subscribe on the dfferent Avenue Media Network YouTube channel as

(01:04:02):
I mentioned at the start of the show, and please
do share that widely and liberally, and you can follow
me once again at Ryan F Sports Guy or follow
the show more importantly at Good Sports three oh six.
Those are both on Instagram. Thanks again to Sarah Wright
for being our guest. Next week, we're gonna do a
Pride episode is of course, we're wrapping up Pride Month here,

(01:04:22):
so we're gonna have Pride as sort of the topic
of the week, and you'll have to tune in to
find out who's going to be joining me right here
in the studio for that one. I'm Ryan Flaherty. Thanks
so much for watching, and thanks to everyone here at
the Dufferent Avenue Media Network for making this thing happen.
I appreciate you very much, and I appreciate you for
watching until next week. Be a good sport.

Speaker 1 (01:04:46):
Whatever makes you happy, what gets you out of bed,
whatever kicks the top webs, you'll join in instead of
victorious day dream, that's my glory of fame.

Speaker 2 (01:05:06):
God's by and we all on the same team. Go
Bo is the name of the game.