Karina LeBlanc
Karina Leblanc is a retired Olympic bronze medalist and professional athlete who has the distinguished honor of being one of the longest serving soccer players in Canadian national team history.
The current General Manager of the Portland Thorns, Karina’s prestigious career has spanned almost 18 years at the international level, she participated in 5 FIFA World Cups and two Olympic Games, winning an Olympic medal in London 2012, and making her and her team household names.
Since retiring as a player in 2015, Karina has been named UNICEF Ambassador, a FIFA Legend and founded the Karina LeBlanc foundation, a charity that mentors and provides scholarships to young women in sport. Recently, Karina was named anHonorary Captain of the Royal Canadian Navy and inducted into the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame.
Speaking topics
- Race, Diversity and Inclusion
Karina LeBlanc will take you through an intimate conversation on her experiences of being a Black Woman in todays world. Her father told her at an early age
“You are a Black Woman, that can either be two strikes against you or for you”
She has always approached life making sure people see her for WHO she is, not WHAT she is or what she looks like.
Karina is able to speak on race, diversity and inclusion from her own experiences. Born to Jamaican and Dominican parents, Karina immigrated to Canada as a shy 8-year-old who felt she had no value on this earth. Through impacting moments and her high performance mind set, Karina found her voice and way. Karina went on to win an Olympic medal and represent Canada internationally for 18 years as a player, and has travelled to various regions of the world as a UNICEF ambassador. She is now the head of Women’s Soccer at CONCACAF, representing 41 countries in North America, Central America and the Caribbean. All of this combined has given Karina a deep understanding of issues surrounding Race, Diversity and inclusion.
With her authenticity and honesty, she will speak from the heart on an issue and conversation we all need to have and move towards.
- Discovering Your Why
Life presents many challenges and obstacles, but these are the very things that shape us, define us, and if we allow them, make us better. In an intimate presentation, two-Time Olympian Karina LeBlanc explores a few of her personal stories that have shaped her into the person she is today, including a recent near-death experience after giving birth during COVID.
Having faced adversity throughout her life, LeBlanc has learned that beyond your greatest trials are your greatest successes. In her 13th year of playing soccer at the international level for her country, LeBlanc had an interesting conversation with her coach after winning an Olympic medal that challenged her to live a life beyond her sport, which, up to that moment, had defined her…
“If you think your purpose on this earth is to kick a soccer ball for Canada, then I have failed you!”
This statement began a journey for LeBlanc of getting comfortable living in the uncomfortable. A new journey towards truly finding her purpose here on this earth. In hearing her story, it will help you as a leader to see the greatness within you, and within your team. This conversation will leave you inspired, challenge you to truly live purposefully, and be the best version of yourself at work and home.
- Redefining Your Purpose
Olympic medalist, UNICEF ambassador, honourary captain of the Royal Canadian Navy, former head of women’s soccer at CONCACAF, current general manager of the Portland Thorns, and now, most importantly, a new mother.
Karina LeBlanc will take you through her journey from immigrating to Canada as a shy 8-year-old to becoming an Olympic medalist, and recently, just a week after giving birth, surviving heart failure and a COVID scare, which led to a 17-day separation from her husband and daughter. It was during this time that she realized that all of her life experiences, and the mindset that made her a two-time Olympian, had prepared her for these difficult times.
In telling her story of how, in the midst of a pandemic, she was able to redefine her purpose, she will leave you recognizing the greatness you have within yourself, during these difficult times. LeBlanc will challenge you to commit every day to living purposefully, to be the best version of you and to connect to a purpose greater than yourself.
- By Empowering Yourself First, You Can Empower Others
Achieving personal empowerment allows a leader to empower others. Sharing her own story of personal empowerment and how she learned to embrace failures and celebrate successes, Karina LeBlanc will take participants on a journey to discovering self and to recognizing the leadership potential within each of us. In this session, LeBlanc will guide participants to explore aspects of self empowerment that will help them, as leaders, to empower others.
- Enhancing the Culture by Enhancing Yourself
In 2011, Karina LeBlanc and the Canadian women’s national soccer team came last at the World Cup in Germany. Nine months later, they stood on the podium watching the Canadian flag rise with a medal around their necks. The difference was John Herdman and the leadership group (which included LeBlanc), who were able to connect on something greater than themselves and greater than an Olympic medal. Their goal was to leave a true legacy and inspire a generation.
Through sharing this powerful journey, LeBlanc equips audiences with insights and strategies that will empower them, as people, employees, or a company, to change an environment so that in the end, they can deliver a podium performance.