The Karina LeBlanc Foundation is celebrating the success of its inaugural Femtorship Program, designed to empower young women.
From spring 2024 through fall 2025, the program brought together seven university-aged “femtees” – young women nominated by the foundation for their leadership potential and passion for sport. Over 18 months, the cohort participated in a structured mentorship journey.
“From the start, our mission has been to help young women bring to light their inner greatness,” said LeBlanc, founder of her namesake foundation. One of Maple Ridge’s best athletes, and a former national soccer team goaltender.
“Our first cohort exceeded every expectation, not just in what they achieved, but in who they became during the process.”
The femtees engaged in a curriculum that challenged them to dream big, connect to their purpose, and build the confidence needed to chart their futures.
The capstone of the program was a Girls in Motion event – a “by girls, for girls” sports and activity fair held at the Karina LeBlanc Synthetic Field in Maple Ridge.
Research shows girls drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys around age 13, so the event was designed to introduce girls ages 8 to 13 to different physical activities and inspire them to stay active for life through a joyful experience of play.
The event was envisioned, planned, and executed by the femtees, with support from event partner Girls Forward Foundation, the Karina LeBlanc Foundation, and Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities. Girls aged 14 to 17 were also invited to volunteer at the event as leaders and join the next femtorship cohort, extending the opportunity for impact to the next generation.
Other highlights of the program were mentorship calls with LeBlanc, and a trip to Oregon, including the opportunity to attend a Portland Thorns game – a team Leblanc played for and was more recently the general manager of. There were also workshop sessions with the foundation’s board.
Along the way, the femtees developed skills in teamwork, public speaking, event planning, community engagement, and leadership, while building friendships and relationships.
“The impact that this experience has had on me is profound,” said Dakota Beckett, one of the femtees. “It has helped me hone my leadership abilities, allowing me to become a better version of myself. Seeing the immediate impact we had on the young girls who came to our event is something I am very proud of.”
The seven femtees were Hannah Bains, Dakota Beckett, Taiya Dennehy, Sophia Ferreira, and Ella Sunde, all with UBC varsity soccer; Keona Nordquist from UBC softball; and Brooke Tarampi, SFU kinesiology and psychology.
Their experiences reflect the foundation’s belief that the confidence and skills built through sport extend far beyond the field, into leadership, community, career, and personal purpose, LeBlanc asserts.
With the success of the pilot, the Karina LeBlanc Foundation is continuing the Femtorship Program into 2026, welcoming a new cohort identified at the Girls in Motion event. The next chapter will build on the learnings, momentum, and impact of this inaugural group.
“We planted a seed, and now we’re watching it grow,” said LeBlanc. “These young women are not just the leaders of tomorrow. They’re leading right now.”
LeBlanc is an Olympic medalist, five-time FIFA Women’s World Cup participant, and a Member of the Order of Canada.
For more about the Karina LeBlanc Foundation, or to make a donation, see www.karinaleblancfoundation.com