Ashley Lawrence

Professional soccer player & Olympic gold medallist

"It all started with a childhood dream."

Starting from nothing, from a small Canadian town to an Olympic gold medal in a sport overwhelmingly represented by men, Ashley left everything behind, traveled to every continent to realize her dream and succeed by overcoming many challenges. Renowned as one of the best players in the world in her position, ranked 8th best player in the world at one point, still competing at the highest level in her field for over a decade, she will be able to pass on to you the learnings and values that she has acquired in order to perform consistently at a high level not only in her realm but in all aspects of her life.

In 2013, Ashley made her debut for the Canadian women’s national soccer team at the age of 17 and since January 2017, she has been a professional soccer player - which were both childhood dreams.

From an early age, she always had a ball at her feet, running around on the amateur fields of Canada with a single thought in mind: to cross the Atlantic, sign for a top club in Europe and become one of the best soccer players in the world.

Making a living from her passion has now become her reality, in a sport historically reserved for men. Ashley has managed to make a place for herself, but it has not come easy and she is conscious of the sacrifices made by the women before her in order to create the opportunities that she has now.

Taking her among the great names of world soccer and inspiring the next generation were a must for this young Canadian, whose dream seemed unattainable at the outset. With the lack of awareness and consideration for the women's game in the world's leading sport, this would be quite challenging.

At the age of 21, she became an Olympic bronze medalist, before going on to win an Olympic gold medal a few years later. She has played in three World Cups. All this to say that it all started with a single thought: that it was possible!

One of the biggest challenges that she has had to face is continuously being counted out or in other words “lack of recognition.”

Another challenge has been the people in her life that have repeatedly told her the difficulties of becoming a professional soccer player - that it was not sustainable and that she should look for a more stable job. Ashley has remained determined and passionate as ever to obtain her goals and aspirations, despite these prejudices.

With her degree in psychology, she has been able to understand the importance of mental management at every level of her life.

Yes She Canada is an association created by Ashley that aims to promote and develop women's soccer through various platforms. The goal is simple: to inspire and empower girls, while providing mentorship and helping build positive self-esteem through sport.

Sport is a social vector with the power to bring people together, whatever their age, social background or skin colour.

She looked at it from the beginning as an exciting challenge and not an impossible task.

She sees her role beyond that of an athlete and wants to set an example. Ashley recognizes that it's a privilege as well as a duty that unites women around a common idea: believing in oneself and developing an exceptional mentality. These values, whatever the field of activity, remain paramount.

Ashley also understands the importance of creating an inclusive environment where everyone is welcome and feels accepted for who they are. She has learned by being a part of many high performing groups that having cohesion and team spirit around a common idea is a key element to success, whether for your company, foundation or association.

Bringing people together to be stronger, with the firm intention of leaving a legacy for all those who are ready to receive it, is the motto of Ashley Lawrence, who is ready to accompany you and share her knowledge.

"Today's determination leads to tomorrow's success through the sum of small efforts repeated each and every day."

---

---