Maple Ridge soccer star Karina LeBlanc is to be made a member of the Order of Canada this month.
Leblanc is one of just 50 people across Canada to receive the "member" honour this year, along with one "companion," and 12 officers of the Order of Canada.
Governor General of Canada Mary Simon will invest them into the Order of Canada during a ceremony at Rideau Hall on Dec. 12, but LeBlanc was announced as a member of the order at the end of 2022.
Best known for having competed as a national team goaltender at FIFA World Cups and Olympic Games, Leblanc also has an impressive resume of humanitarian work.
"Karina LeBlanc is a global force in soccer," said the Order of Canada announcement. "A national team goalkeeper for 17 years, she helped achieve notable finishes for Canada, including at five FIFA Women’s World Cups and two Olympic Games.
"Using her success in sport as a platform for social change, she inspires girls to dream big through her eponymous foundation, motivational speaking and service as a UNICEF ambassador. Former head of women’s soccer for the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF), she now shares her expertise as general manager of the Portland Thorns."
The Portland Thorns FC is a professional women's soccer team.
The Karina LeBlanc Foundation intends to "empower young women to bring to light their inner greatness," through athletic training, mentorship, personal growth initiatives and resources to help them pursue their dreams. The foundation has awarded scholarships to graduates in Maple Ridge.
Originally from Dominica, she moved to Maple Ridge at the age of eight. She played for the University of Nebraska, graduating in 2000 as one of the program's most decorated keepers, with a degree in business, then moved into professional women's soccer and international play.
In 2018, she was hired by the soccer organization CONCACAF, one of the six FIFA continental governing bodies, to be the head of women's soccer. She held that position until 2021, when she became the Thorns GM.
She is revered by many in her home town, where there is a soccer field named for LeBlanc.
