Rhian Wilkinson

Rhian Emilie Wilkinson... sports family (rugby father Keith Wilkinson, lacrosse cousin William Evans)... speaks English and French... has her own website, rhianwilkinsonsoccer.com... her father was born in København, DEN (his English father was in the military) while her mother was born in Cardiff, WAL... she was 10 years old when her family spent a one-year sabbatical in Cardiff, WAL... Rhian grew up participating in hockey, ringuette, rugby, badminton, basketball, swimming, horesback riding, track and field (“I did anything and everything”)... she was seven years old when she started playing soccer at CS Lakeshore (with Linda Consolante for the “Strawberries”)... enjoys reading, writing, travel... growing up, favourites included Ryan Giggs, Michael Owen, Liverpool FC... other favourites included Roger Federer, Montréal Canadiens...

earned a Bachelor of Arts, communications, from the University of Tennessee in 2005... earned a degree in Anatomy and Physiology from Athabasca University in 2011... granted her Canada Soccer Coaching B Diploma in 2015... took part in the inaugural FIFA Coach Mentorship Program in 2018-19 (alongside mentor coach Hope Powell)... earned her UEFA A Diploma (Coaching Award) in 2019 from the Welsh FA...

honoured by the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2022, with her official celebration ahead of the Canada international home match on 8 April 2022 at BC Place in Vancouver (five teammates Randee Hermus, Karina LeBlanc, Brittany Timko Baxter, Martina Franko and Rhian Wilkison were honoured)... honoured by the Soccer Québec Hall of Fame (Temple de la renommée du soccer québecoise)... in June 2016, the Parc Rhian-Wilkinson in Baie d’Urfé was renamed in her honour (formerly known as Dorset Park)... was part of the National Team that won the 2010 Concacaf Championship, recognised as a Canada Soccer Team of Distinction... was part of Team Canada that won an Olympic Bronze Medal at London 2012, recognised as a Canada Soccer Team of Distinction and honoured by the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame... was part of Team Canada that won an Olympic Bronze Medal at Rio 2016, recognised as a Canada Soccer Team of Distinction... her father Keith Wilkinson was posthumously honoured as a builder by the Rugby Canada Hall of Fame...

Concacaf champion with Canada (2010)… won a Bronze Medal with Canada at the London 2012 Olympic Games... represented Canada at four FIFA Women’s World Cups (USA 2003, China 2007, Germany 2011, Canada 2015), including a fourth-place finish at USA 2003... in all, represented Canada at three Olympic Games (Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016)... in all, won six Concacaf medals with Canada (2004 bronze, 2006 silver, 2008 silver, 2010 gold, 2012 silver, 2016 silver)... won medals with Canada at three Pan American Games (silver at Santo Domingo 2003, bronze at Rio 2007 and gold at Guadalajara 2011)... career 181 international “A” appearances across 15 years from 2003 to 2017 with Canada Soccer's Women's National Team… when she left international football, she ranked third in international “A” appearances (181) with Canada Soccer’s Women’s National Team...

club career in Canada, Norway and USA, including appearances in UEFA Champions League Qualifying... with Lillestrøm SK in Norway, a Toppserien winner (2012)... was one of the first two Canadians to feature in UEFA Women’s Champions League (Diana Matheson and Rhian Wilkinson in 2009-10)...

served as Canada team staff at the FIFA Women’s World Cup France 2019… served as Canada team staff at one FIFA youth tournament (U-20 at Canada 2014; U-17 at Uruguay 2018)…

part of the Canada Soccer visit to meet Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Parliament Hill on 4 May 2012 in Ottawa (Karina LeBlanc and Rhian WIlkinson)... part of the Canada Soccer team that met Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Parliament Hill on 6 June 2016 ahead of their international match one day later in Ottawa...

one of several players that had a cameo appearance in the “Colouful Canada” video that was produced to help unveil the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015 Official Emblem on 14 December 2012... one of several players that participated in FIFA Live Your Goals festivals ahead of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Canada 2014...

one of four members of iS4, a group that is dedicated to empowering others through workshops, speaking engagements, team building, and soccer camps... served as a brand ambassador for Umbro Canada... served as an ambassador for Canadian Tire’s Jumpstart program...

attended the Final Match of the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Canada 2014 in Montréal... attended the 2014-15 Concacaf Champions League Grand Final at Stade Olympique in Montréal (with an memorable 61,004 fans in attendance for the 29 April second leg)... attended the Final Match at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015 in Vancouver (one of several players that sat close to Prime Minister Harper during the match)... ran her second marathon on 26 September 2016 (the Montréal Marathon)...

she was celebrated by Canada Soccer on 4 February 2017 in the post-match presentation to former Olympic bronze medal winners at BC Place in Vancouver (Marie-Eve Nault, Melissa Tancredi and Rhian Wilkinson were all celebrated after making their final international appearances)...

once said of playing for Canada, “I think we are everyday Canadians: we work hard and we are very proud of the ability we have to represent our country and to wear the maple leaf”... said coach Angela Kelly in 2002, Rhian “is so incredibly fast and deceptively quick”... said Karina LeBlanc in 2017, “you could never outwork Rhi; she was willing to put in the time, the work and the energy that some other people wouldn’t have”... said Shelina Zadorsky in 2017, “seeing her literally leave everything on the pitch - slide tackling, tracking, running up to get crosses in - her physicality and presence as a fullback really made an impact on me”... said Wilkinson in 2019, “I have been very fortunate to have been mentored throughout my coaching journey; Canada Soccer developed the Elite Player-Elite Coach program from which I have benefited hugely and I have been guided by John Herdman and then Kenneth Heiner-Møller, two giants in the women’s game”...