No time out for Olympic athlete

While many athletes experience a downer as they adjust to their mundane post-Olympic routines, Rhian Wilkinson’s adrenaline has not slowed down one bit. Her brief pit stop in Montreal at the end of August gave her barely enough time to rest up, see friends and family and pack her bags before heading out for the field again.

Within days of her arrival from Beijing, the 26-year-old kicked off her second professional contract with Norway’s Team Strommen. Despite a brooding sense of frustration at being eliminated by the United Sates in the Olympic quarterfinal match, Wilkinson, who hails from Baie d’Urfé, was quick to get back in the game. “I didn’t have time to be depressed about not bringing home a medal,” she said. She views her experience at the Olympics as a milestone in her career.

Wilkinson was one of 22 players on the first ever Canadian women's soccer team to play in the Olympics. The team lost to Mexico in their previous attempt to qualify for the summer games in Athens. “When we almost made it four years ago, I thought I’d lost my only chance,” she said. In addition to finally realizing a lifelong dream, making it to the summer games in Beijing was also the culmination of many years of hard work.

Rhian’s father, Keith Wilkinson, was delighted with her performance. “The Olympics are the pinnacle of achievement in all sports disciplines in the world,” he said. “Words do not begin to express my pride in Rhian's accomplishments.”

Wilkinson was discovered at age 17 while playing for the Quebec provincial team at the Canadian championships in Granby. “I was scouted by Canada's youth team coach and by three universities,” she recalled. “A soccer scholarship had never even occurred to me before then and suddenly I was very excited at the prospect of having a career in soccer.” She attended the University of Tennessee on a full scholarship, completing a degree in Communications and English before making headway as a professional player.

Wilkinson has played professionally in Canada and Norway, competed in two world cups and has received numerous awards and recognitions in the national and international soccer arenas. While she enjoys the nomadic lifestyle of professional sports she has also made some sacrifices. “It’s hard to be away from my family and especially difficult to have long-lasting relationships,” she said.

But no matter where she is in the world, Wilkinson can stay in touch. “My website allows me to connect with fans,” she said. She also believes that sharing her experience though her online journal is a good way to give back to the soccer community and to encourage young female athletes to follow their dreams. “I want women to know that it is possible to play soccer professionally.”

While Wilkinson does plan to pursue graduate studies in the future, for the moment, she’s keeping her eye on the ball. “I’ll be 30 by the time we qualify for the summer games in London,” she said. By the looks of it, she won’t be hanging up her cleats any time soon.

Wilkinson wishes to thank the fans of Canada’s national women’s soccer team for following their progress and for their continued support. Visit Rhian Wilkinson's website at www.rhianwilkinsonsoccer.com.