London, Ont.'s Jessie Fleming surprises young soccer fan with sweet gift
A young girl watching Canada's gold-medal winning women's national soccer team play in Ottawa on Saturday got a big surprise from midfielder Jessie Fleming.
After the game, Nigel Wallis and his daughter, nine-year-old Logan -- who was wearing a replica of Fleming's number 17 jersey -- were at the sidelines waving a Canadian flag.
Wallis tweeted that's when Fleming, "ran all the way across the field to the dugout, and all the way back to ask whether our daughter wanted her jersey. So incredibly kind."
Canada's national team had just concluded a match against New Zealand (which they won 5-1) as part of their Gold Medal Celebration Tour.
Wallis tells CTV News London his daughter, who plays rec level soccer, "was really excited to see the team -- professional female athletes -- in person."
The family had watched avidly as Canada's women's team took home the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo.
And after Fleming said it was nice to meet her, Wallis says, "Our kid was sort of awestruck in muteness…"
Wallis tweeted that his daughter slept in the jersey all night.
He says it was "just really sweet of a pro athlete to notice a kid [among] the fans and then to take the time and energy from all the things she has to do post-match (cool down stretching, rehydrate, grab dry clothes, etc.) to make our daughter’s day/week/month. It was very kind of her."
And he encourages everyone to head out and catch a game as part of the team's tour and support the growth of women's soccer.
"The team is awesome, games are super fun, and they’ll have a great time celebrating the historic gold while supporting the team for the future."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Her SUV was stolen in Montreal. A Good Samaritan on Facebook helped her get it back
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.