Ethelbert’s Analiese Silvester helped Team Manitoba to a silver medal at Football Canada’s Women’s U18 National Championships in Ottawa, July 21 to 29.

Manitoba opened the tournament with a 32-26 loss to Ontario Red, July 23.

Playing in the Cummings Division, Manitoba then defeated Indigenous Football Canada, 53-0, on July 26, to advance to the gold medal game against Ontario Black, which captured the gold medal with an 8-0 win, July 29.

Entering her 10th year of playing football, Silvester became interested in the sport when her mother and sister started playing.

“And they encouraged me to go to a practice, so I thought, ‘why not? I’ll try out in practice.’ And then I just fell in love with the sport,” she said.

Living in Ethelbert, Silvester commutes to Dauphin to practice and play with the Dauphin Clippers high school team. She first began in the youth football program in Dauphin before graduating to the high school level.

Silvester’s dream was to play for the provincial team, so when she heard about the tryouts, she decided to give it a try.

“I was pretty mind blown. It was very nice knowing I made the team,” she said of her reaction to making the team.

Silvester didn;t really have any expectations entering the national championships.

“I’ve never really been to one of those, so I didn’t know what to expect. But it was a very amazing experience,” she said, adding it was also a good learning experience, as well.

Silvester played mostly as a defensive back, but she also saw time as a linebacker and safety.

Silvester hopes to someday tryout for Canada’s national women’s team.

Silvester would like to give a huge thank-you to the following for their help raising funds for her travel costs: Erica Spek, Baba’s Corner Store, Gerald Lopez, Semtrack Agency and Design, Burdeniuk’s Service, East Side Collision, Western Trails, the Telfer family along with friends and family.

“Your help is greatly appreciated,” she said.