P.A.’s Ashley Viklund to play for Canada at international football tournament

Four years after being cut in the first round of national team selection, Prince Albert-raised offensive linesman Ashley Viklund will suit up with Team Canada at the 2017 International Federation of American Football Women’s World Championship.

“I was pretty speechless and really excited. I couldn’t really believe that I had actually made it,” said Vicklund, a six-year veteran of the Regina Riot of the Western Women’s Canadian Football League.

“It’s a pretty big deal. I put a lot of effort into actually making it this time so it was really great to have that payoff. I have spent years in the gym getting stronger and getting faster so that I wouldn’t get cut for any reasons like that and trying to hone my craft and working with some of the best coaches in Canada, in my opinion, so that I could make it.”

This is the third year the Women’s World Championship is being held. Canada reached the finals in both of its appearances, losing the gold medal match to Team U.S.A. each time. The previous tournaments were held Sweden in 2010 and Finland in 2013 and while the location of this summer’s event has not been officially announced, Viklund said it is rumoured that it will be held in Canada.

“Getting to rep the maple leaf at home where my family can come watch is just unbelievable. Something that I never thought that I’d get to do in my life,” she said.

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