'Miracle on grass': Local soccer reps beaming with pride over local ties to gold medal win

London, Ont. -

The London Olympic medal haul got another boost Friday as local socccer stars Shelina Zadorsky and Jessie fleming were part of Canada’s gold medal win in women’s soccer against Sweden.

The two players are well known locally, as both came up through London youth soccer clubs. London NorWest Soccer club caretaker Jennifer Jaquith says they are now both role models to youngsters in the game.

She watched Fleming up close from a young age playing in the NorWest club.

“Her dad was coaching her, and I was coaching my daughter’s team, and we were just a couple of parents coaching a couple of kids. And then you could start to see Jess separate from the pack at a very, very early age.”

Tom Partalis, who runs the London BMO Centre, a major soccer hub in the community, calls the gold medal match the “miracle on grass.” He says both London players maintain ties to the soccer facility.

“When they have a little bit of free time both of them will come to the BMO Centre and train. And it was something else to come here and watch them. It’s amazing.”

According to the organization Canadian Women in Sport, one in four girls is not committed to returning to sports post-COVID-19.

Soccer clubs are hoping that Olympic gold, and seeing just what’s possible, may be enough to help turn that around.

“Hoping that this will inspire them to come back out on the pitches this winter here or next summer and keep playing,” said Jaquith. “‘Cause you may not be growing up to be Jessie Fleming or Andre (De Grasse), but sport for life is important for all of us.”