Interview: Ashley Lawrence, CWNT Gold Medalist and Ballon d'Or Finalist

In this episode Shireen Ahmed interviews Ashley Lawrence, a member of the gold-medal winning Canadian national soccer team. She currently plays for PSG in France and a finalist for both the BBC Women's Footballer of the Year 2021 and the prestigious Ballon d'Or award.

This episode was produced by Tressa Versteeg. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist. Burn It All Down is part of the Blue Wire podcast network.

Transcript

Shireen: Hey flamethrowers, Shireen here. I'm so excited to have Ashley Lawrence on the show today. For those of you that don't know her, Ashley is a Canadian soccer player who plays for Paris Saint-Germain in Division 1 Féminine. She also plays for the Canadian women's national team where she had a sensational gold medal performance at the Tokyo Olympics. And from her gold medal win in Tokyo to being a finalist of this year's Ballon d’Or, it is clear her fighting spirit and passion for soccer goes far beyond the field. In addition to being a Tim Hortons connoisseur, she is also a source of inspiration, and her dedication to supporting and encouraging the next generation of young girls and women in sports is very evident. Hello, hello, Ashley! I know we're limited on time. 

Ashley: Hello. Thank you for having me. 

Shireen: I actually wrote a piece about you for Chatelaine before the Olympics, and it was very easy for me to decide to write about you. So, thank you so much for being on Burn It All Down. And my first question to you – it must've been tough to miss the victory tour, but how are you feeling now?

Ashley: Yeah. It definitely was tough. But I was kind of dealing with like a minor thing, so just being with my club in Canada, we decided it would just be best to not do the long travel. But I'm feeling much better now. And, yeah, looking forward to our next game against Real Madrid. 

Shireen: So, right now you're not at home. You're in Paris. So, what is the food that you miss the most when you're not at home? When you're in Paris, what do you miss the most? 

Ashley: Honestly, whenever I travel back home, my first stop is Tim Horton’s. [Shireen laughs] It's like, nothing…I don't get anything specific, but it's just so bizarre, but I just have to make the stop there, like, with my mom and my brother, whoever's picking me up. Yeah, I'll either get a French vanilla or like a chocolate-dipped donut or a bagel. But yeah, I have to make that stop. But besides that, I would just say home cooked meals, for sure. Like, just being back home, and nothing like a home cooked meal. 

Shireen: Awesome. So, let's talk a little bit about...We’ll get to the awesome stuff you're doing in the Champs League, DAZN work, all that stuff. But I do want to ask about the Olympics. Winning must've been phenomenal. And what was the most important takeaway from Tokyo 2020 for you? Like, the experience? 

Ashley: Yeah. I think for me, and also just us as a team, that just knowing that it's possible that we could win…Obviously at other major tournaments, we go into it with the mindset of winning. But yeah, there was something different before Tokyo 2020. We actually didn't have many camps together. And we were able to create from afar because of, like, virtually we were able to do some like sessions together, meetings. And you could see the staff, the players, everyone really bought in to the idea. And so our team spirit just collectively has always been our force.

But yeah, this tournament, I think just taking it one day at a time, one game at a time. You could see a lot of players stepping up in different roles. Young players, veterans. And we had just that belief. So, coming away, winning…Yeah. Just knowing that it's possible and knowing that we've always wanted to be a powerhouse, a number one team. And we have the players, but then winning it really just solidified that. 

Shireen: So, the Canadian national women's soccer team is quite legendary in terms of the chemistry and the gelling. And you've been through a couple of coaches in the last 10 years. But my question is about that chemistry and that team unity that's very much solid. For example, very recently, as you know, the team unanimously decided to take action, and with requests for the federation, the Canadian Soccer Association. How does that help on the pitch? That type of connection? How does that help the game? Like, from a technical standpoint.

Ashley: Yeah, I think that we've always tried to create an environment that was comfortable for everyone. Inclusive. And I think it speaks volumes of the people that are on the team, the players, the staff. We’ve had many conversations on numerous subjects, and everyone's always open to that. And I think that's what is key, being open and having just a listening ear. And we understand our roles as athletes, and our platforms. And I'm just so proud of my teammates who just use them, use their platforms to make change. But yeah, I think as a team we're just constantly looking to have an impact – not only on the field, but beyond the pitch. And I think that's what just ties into our strength, and that is just our unity, and just like a family. And so that I think has shown in our performances, because we're willing to be out on the field and to fight for the player next next to you. But that is really our x-factor. And we're going to continue to use that moving forward.

Shireen: So let's talk about your x-factor, because your career has literally...And it's not something that happened overnight. You've been toiling. You've been doing the work, starting in the NCAA Div 1 days. You know, you have really risen. And now, congratulations on your nomination for Ballon d’Or. We've seen you rise. We've seen you lead. I get goosebumps thinking about you getting to the finals in France. So, let's pivot for a second. Is that x-factor what you're doing now in your ambassadorship with DAZN, as a local ambassadorship? And how did that come to be? 

Ashley: Yeah. Well, I mean, I definitely appreciate the support, because I remember, like, you're always there supporting, and it's really special, I think, especially like in women's football, where we want to get more visibility, more exposure. So, to have just that encouragement consistently, it makes a difference. Yeah, I think for myself I've really matured over the last couple of years, being on the national team, but especially in France. It was very challenging at the beginning. But I think for any athlete that makes that decision to go overseas…But yeah, learning just a new language, the culture, and playing with some top players in the world that had just loads of experience – that wasn’t easy. But I've always been open to challenges and wanted to kind of work out of my comfort zone, knowing that that was going to help me develop and grow my game.

And so, as you mentioned, I put in a lot of hard work, and just kind of analyzed how I can improve my game. I didn't see the results right away, but I never gave up. I just remain resilient. And this past year, just with the successes of Canada and with PSG, it's just surreal, in such a short period of time. But I just think back to kind of those hard conversations that I've had with myself or with teammates or coaches, and going towards that. And then just, yeah, being disciplined. And whether it was like what I'm eating, recovery, getting better on crossing as a full back. How can I be more efficient in getting maybe assists and helping my team in the attack? But also, as a defender, being more solid.

But then as well, my role, like, my responsibility beyond on the field, being an ambassador for DAZN and just seeing this new partnership…I’m just so excited. It's gonna add more exposure to the women's game and that’s what we've been fighting in Canada, but around the world. Every women's footballer can join hand-in-hand. But having that access, having more viewerships…As we saw with the major world cups, there is that interest. So yeah, seeing these competitions, being accessible for everyone, and hopefully it's going to have a spiral effect to have more investment and more interest. And I just want to continue to play my role in any way that I can to be a voice, to continue to push women’s football on the world stage.

Shireen: And as one of this country's greatest athletes, why is it important to you that young fans – not just girls, but all fans – watch the UEFA Women's Champs League? Why is that important?

Ashley: I think it's important because it's key to see different examples, different forms of idols. I know for myself, growing up, I didn't really have a lot of…I guess the possibility or opportunity to really see women's football. But it's key to have that, so that future generations can be inspired. But yeah, I think going back to Tokyo 2020, winning the gold medal, we knew that that game was bigger than that tournament. We were hoping that it could really bring about change in Canada. But also, for young girls and boys that are looking up to us, just to see women excelling and also being inspired for them, whether it's in football, in sport or in life. Just being an example, yeah. That was really what it was about.

Shireen: And I really appreciate the way as well that ties into the fact that Canada doesn't have a domestic league. And after your win at the Olympics, Stephanie Labbé and Christine Sinclair both were in an interview where they talked about that. So you're constantly using those platforms to be guardians and advocates for the women's game. My last question to you is something you touched on in the interview. It's about your French.

Quel est le nom français du film Jaws? A. Les dents de la mer, B. 20,000 lieues sous ta mère, et C. Croque Monsieur? Je pense c’est A. Les dents de la mer. 

Shireen: Si on continue à pratiquer le français…Alors, qu’est-ce que tu fais quand tu retournes à Canada? Est-ce que tu parles avec des copines? Do you speak with teammates to keep improving your French? Because I’ve also been noting, your interviews have been getting pretty good now!

Ashley: Yeah. I mean, I can respond in French, but… [laughs] No, I think honestly it's taken a long time, but when I first joined the club, many lessons, took many lessons. But the best way that I learned was just being embedded in France – speaking to my teammates, going to like the boulangerie [Shireen laughs] and ordering a baguette. But just honestly, that was the only way, because I found that I learned it pretty quickly. But then to speak, it was almost like, ohh…That was the hardest part. And even seeing now with like Jordyn and stuff, yeah, they learned it really quick, but it's always that now to speak, and you just need to speak it. So, it took many years, but now I am definitely more comfortable. 

Shireen: That's awesome. And congratulations again, bon courage with everything. And we're looking forward to a fantastic season. Thank you for being on Burn It All Down!

Ashley: Merci beaucoup. Thank you.

Shireen: En prie!