Two-time Olympic medalist Stephanie Labbé hosts soccer camp in Regina
Canadian Olympic soccer player Stephanie Labbé was in Regina Monday night for her cross-country “Champions Tour.”
“I’m from a small town so anytime I can get to the prairies and places like this it’s really special to me,” said Labbé.
The Champions Tour is a soccer clinic for youth aged nine to 13 and focuses on tips, drills, and even a special message from the retired professional.
“The biggest thing is like believe in yourself no matter what. There’s always going to be people that don’t believe in you and tell you you’re not good enough. I had people like that my entire career but I just continue to believe in yourself no matter what and your dreams,” she said.
It is a message that already has made an impact
“I just have to keep going no matter what happens. If I get told that I’m not playing or get injured I just have to keep going and not give up,” said participant and soccer player Neko Michell
“I think it’s great for young athletes to hear that from someone with her background just to believe in yourself and nothing is impossible,” said QC United soccer club’s technical director Josh Hartl.
Labbé won bronze at the Rio 2016 Olympics and most recently gold at the Tokyo 2020 games. It was there that many Canadians began to recognize Labbé after her performance. She became the first Canadian goalkeeper to twice make two saves on kicks from the penalties mark in the same competition. First when Canada eliminated Brazil in the quarter finals and then ultimately winning gold against Sweden in the same penalty kick outcome.
Labbé now incorporates that in her tour by letting a select group of kids get the opportunity to try and score on her at the end of the clinic.
“It brings the memories back of why these kids you know started to learn my name and learn who I am,” she said. “So to bring back the excitement of it, it just gives them a chance to cheer each other one and gives a couple kids some bragging rights.”
Labbé announced her retirement from professional soccer in January.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
BREAKING Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.