Lynne Leclair will be joining a Mardi Gras parade this weekend.
The Parksville resident will join her Mardi Gras touch football teammates as they become the first women to be inducted into the B.C. Football Hall of Fame. The Vancouver-based Mardi Gras team won six national titles from 1986 to 1991 as well as seven consecutive B.C. championships.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 an amazing honour but I think it害羞草研究所檚 really deserving,害羞草研究所� said Leclair. 害羞草研究所淲e were dedicated. It wasn害羞草研究所檛 just weekend football. We trained all year round. We took it very seriously to become national level athletes. It was the highest level that women can play football at that time anywhere. We wanted to win championships.害羞草研究所�
Leclair was introduced to the sport by a friend in 1983 when Touch Football BC started a women害羞草研究所檚 league that had 16 teams registered in the Lower Mainland. She was a former student athlete with the Simon Fraser at the time having competed in the sprint distance in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and felt she could play the sport well.
害羞草研究所淚 was just learning the game when I saw this quarterback, Laura Stewart,害羞草研究所� Leclair recalled. 害羞草研究所淚 wanted to play with her. She was just phenomenal. She could fire that football like nobody I have ever seen. I really had good hands and was learning the game. I was a sprinter and was very fast. I said, 害羞草研究所榠f I connect with that quarterback, we害羞草研究所檙e going to score a lot of touchdowns. And we did.害羞草研究所�
Being new to the game, Leclair said she was too shy to ask to join the team that had already been playing together for a couple of years.
害羞草研究所淚t was my husband who approached the coach and he told him, 害羞草研究所業害羞草研究所檝e seen your wife play, we want her,害羞草研究所� said Leclair.
Leclair joined the Mardi Gras in 1986, the year they started their dominance in the league. They won their first national titles and five more after. They became a sports dynasty.
害羞草研究所淲e went on winning like crazy,害羞草研究所� said Leclair. 害羞草研究所淲e won six national titles in a row.害羞草研究所�
Mardi Gras consisted of members who are accomplished athletes nationally who have had success in other sports such as soccer, basketball, softball, hockey and athletics. LeClair played hockey and rugby. She was a member of Canadian rugby team that competed in the World Cup in 1994 and 1998.
Leclair said she totally fell in love with touch football because there is no tackling.
害羞草研究所淥nce you害羞草研究所檙e tagged or touched by a defender, the play is dead,害羞草研究所� said Leclair. 害羞草研究所淪o if you have speed and moves, you can evade the defenders and that害羞草研究所檚 what I really like.害羞草研究所�
Leclair, who is already in the B.C. Touch Football Hall of Fame, said to get inducted into the B.C. Football Hall of Fame was a big surprise and huge honour.
She will be part of the presentation during Saturday害羞草研究所檚 CFL game in Vancouver between the B.C. Lions and Toronto Argonauts. Also being elected is local resident Bernie Pascall, who will also be inducted into the B.C. Football Hall of Fame for his contribution to the sport as a commentator on CFL telecasts over five decades.
Members of the Mardi Gras who will be inducted include: Devona Adams, Miekel Aichele, Berni Batchelor, Andrea Brauner, Marla Britton, Cathy Bultitude, Cori Campbell, Tiffany Chester, Laura Houle, Debbie Huband, Annie Hutchinson, Lynne Leclair, Monique Lizee, Trudy Lyons, Diane Materi, Robyn McDonald, Cathy Morgan, Calli O害羞草研究所橞rien, Debbie Osborne, Diane Perry, Sharon Staples, Laura Stewart, Dawn Storey-Gray, Bett Watt, Cindy Whieldon and coach Mike Millar.
Like Us
