R Flavour was lucky enough to catch up with one of Canada’s favourite Olympians – Robyn Gayle of the Canadian Women’s Olympic Soccer team! We asked the bronze medalist a few questions to get her take on all things sports. Check it out!

Tell us 3 randomly interesting things about yourself.

I always wear black socks under my game socks.

I love Beres Hammond.

I recently started collecting mugs.

Congrats are in order! You were a part of the bronze medal Olympic women’s soccer team in London this summer. Though the entire event wasn’t without its ups and downs, how was the experience of being in the Olympics for you?

In the Beijing Games I felt in awe, as it was the first time we had experienced the Olympics. This time we knew what the games were about and came prepared to earn some hardware. I think at these games we were very focused and fortunately very prepared. Before the games we had outlined some scenarios that could arise and worked through how we would like to deal with them. Turns out, a number of the scenarios happened and I think we handled everything quite well.

What are your thoughts on the outcome of the controversial Olympic game against the USA?

These things are apart of the game and it doesn’t make sense to continue to invest energy into what could’ve been. We will take great learnings from that game and those lessons will hopefully benefit us in future games and competitions. I would like to say though, that the support we’ve gotten from our fellow Canadians has been incredible and very much appreciated.

Where did the interest in soccer come from? Were you involved in any other sports growing up?

My passion for the sport was developed at a young age. My two older brothers were soccer players and it was what I wanted to do from as early as I can remember. Soccer has always been my number one, but along the way I’ve competed in track, volleyball and basketball.

Who/what motivated you on your journey thus far?

I draw motivation from a number of things…my family and faith being the two main ones. Something I’ve come to appreciate more and more is how important a number of people have been on my journey. Everyone has played a different part, but each have contributed to the person and athlete I am. I can’t help having an overwhelming feeling of gratitude to my God, my family, my friends, my teammates, my coaches and trainers who have been there throughout my journey.

Do you feel that there is enough support for athleticism in Canada? Do you feel that there’s room for Canada to have more impact on a global stage? 

I absolutely feel that Canada can have an impact on the international stage in a number of sports. The biggest difference I think stems back to financial investment.

Are there any changes you’d like to see in Canadian athletics?

I’m not sure what it’s like with other sports, but certainly with soccer I would like to see the structure and demands of grassroots to continue to evolve. When you look at other nations and see the technical abilities their players possess, there are some fundamentals that should be mastered early on. Otherwise these are qualities that are difficult to develop later on in one’s athletic career.

We recently celebrated the 1st International Day of the Girl Child on Oct. 11th. What do you think the benefits are of having more girls involved in sports from a young age?

Our team works closely with Because I Am A Girl and we were so thrilled to celebrate the first Day of the Girl. We are currently fundraising for the “Football for Peace” project in Columbia through the sales of headbands and shoelaces, which we wear when permitted.

I think there are so many benefits to girls participating in sport. In a global sense, it has been shown that sport leads to real change, particularly with girls getting an education and keeping girls in school. In general, there are a lot of transferable skills developed through sport from time management to teamwork, as well as the personal benefits with self esteem and that sense of community one gets just from being on a team.

Soccer has taken you to many amazing places in the world. Where has been your favourite destination? 

It’s hard to pick one. I’ve come to appreciate that every country has its own beauty…some of my favourites have been Rouen, France, Rome, Italy and as a soccer fan England is an incredible place to be with all the EPL clubs there.

What’s next for you? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

Training. I’ve enjoyed some down time post the Olympics but I’m now looking forward to getting back into things. I’m anxious to see what our head coach, John Herdman, has in store for the team.

What would you like to say to young aspiring athletes?

I believe that any investment you make in yourself is always worth while. Regardless of your age or your aspirations, I think hard work, dedication and belief are at the foundation of achieving your dreams.