Northern Lights Women's Development Program

Hi I’m Ashlie and on November 19, 2016 while I was on my way home from college to visit family for the weekend life as I knew it got thrown upside down. I sneezed while driving, hitting the soft spot of the road, losing control and rolling into a ditch. The air bag deployed breaking my neck sustaining a C5/6 complete Spinal Cord Injury resulting in paralysis from the neck down. 

At the time I was a dedicated high level goalkeeper in soccer with the goal of going pro. Soccer was part of my identity and gave me purpose. After my accident that felt like it was all stripped away.

A couple years ago I discovered wheelchair rugby, and it's been one of the best things to happen since my injury. The sport has given me confidence, purpose, an incredible community and reawakened a part of me that I honestly thought I'd lost.

Earlier this year, I was incredibly honoured to earn a spot on the Northern Lights Canadian Women's Wheelchair Rugby development program. This opportunity means more than I can put into words, and I'm beyond excited for what's ahead.

✨LIGHTS ON Team Challenge: MOVE WITH US✨

We're training for the World Championships in Paris, December 2026, and we want you to be part of the journey.
Starting August 15, we're inviting our community to move with Northern Lights every day, leading up to our Edmonton training camp September 15-20.

Move however works for you. Walk, wheel, roll, stretch, swim, lift, play a sport, dance, or simply get moving in a way that feels right for you. There are no rules about what movement has to look like.
Here's how to join us:

🏐MOVE: Get moving every day until camp.

🏐SHARE: Show us how you're moving and tag@NorthernLightsWheelchairRugby #LightsOn

🏐DONATE: Help support our journey to the 2026 World Championships in Paris.

🏐INVITE: Challenge your friends, teammates, family, or community to move with you.

While you're moving with us, we'll be putting in the work too. At our upcoming Edmonton camp, we'll track every minute the Northern Lights spend training and share the total with everyone who has joined us along the way.

This isn't about how far you go, how fast you move, or what activity you choose. It's about showing up, moving together, and helping us keep the Lights ON all the way to Paris.

Ready to move with us?

✨Tag us in your movement and use @NorthernLightsWheelchairRugby #LightsOn so we can follow along.✨

And if you can, donate to help get the Northern Lights to Worlds. Every contribution helps.

Let's get moving.

Message from Wheelchair Rugby Canada 

The Northern Lights Women’s Development Program is a volunteer-led initiative, delivered in collaboration with Wheelchair Rugby Canada, dedicated to growing participation and elevating the visibility of women in wheelchair rugby.

Women remain underrepresented in the sport, despite growing interest and momentum worldwide. World Wheelchair Rugby has publicly called for the creation of a women’s division at the Paralympic Games, making this a pivotal moment to invest in the future of the sport and gender equity at the international level.

The Northern Lights are helping lead that change. By creating training and competition opportunities across the country, the program brings women together to train, compete, and develop at a high level.

In 2025, the Northern Lights made history at the Rugbymania tournament in Prague, becoming the first all-female team to compete in an international mixed-gender wheelchair rugby competition. Building on that momentum, the program has continued to advocate for greater opportunities, contributing to the creation of the first-ever Women’s Wheelchair Rugby National Championships.

This progress has led to another historic milestone: the first Women’s Wheelchair Rugby World Championships, taking place in Paris this December. The Northern Lights are now fundraising to support athletes and staff as they prepare for and compete on the world stage.

Your support helps make all of this possible. Donations directly fund athlete development, training camps, travel, and competition opportunities, ensuring more women have the chance to participate and excel in wheelchair rugby.

Be part of this movement. Help us continue to break barriers, create opportunities, and represent Canada at this landmark moment for women’s wheelchair rugby.

✨ LIGHTS ON : BOUGEZ AVEC NOUS ✨

Nous participons aux tous premiers Championnats du monde de Rugby en Fauteuil Roulant Féminin à Paris, en décembre 2026, et nous voulons que vous fassiez partie de cette aventure.

À partir du 15 août, nous invitons notre communauté à bouger avec les Northern Lights chaque jour, jusqu'à notre camp d'entraînement à Edmonton, du 15 au 20 septembre.

Bougez à votre façon. Marchez, roulez, étirez-vous, nagez, soulevez des poids, pratiquez un sport, dansez, ou bougez simplement comme cela vous convient. Il n'y a aucune règle sur ce à quoi le mouvement doit ressembler.

Voici comment vous joindre à nous : 

🏐 BOUGEZ: Bougez chaque jour jusqu'au camp. 

🏐PARTAGEZ: Identifiez nous dans vos activités @NorthernLightsWheelchairRugby #LightsOn 

🏐 DONNEZ: Aidez à soutenir notre parcours vers les Championnats du monde 2026 à Paris. 

🏐 INVITEZ: Mettez au défi vos amis, coéquipiers, votre famille ou votre communauté de bouger avec vous.

Pendant que vous bougez avec nous, nous travaillons fort nous aussi. Lors de notre prochain camp à Edmonton, nous allons comptabiliser chaque minute d'entraînement des Northern Lights et partager le total avec tous ceux qui se seront joints à nous en cours de route.

Il ne s'agit pas de la distance parcourue, de la vitesse ou de l'activité choisie. Il s'agit de se présenter, de bouger ensemble et de nous aider à garder les Lights ON jusqu'à Paris.

Prêts à bouger avec nous?

✨ Identifiez-nous dans vos publications et utilisez @NorthernLightsWheelchairRugby #LightsOn pour que nous puissions vous suivre. ✨

Et si vous le pouvez, faites un don pour aider les Northern Lights à se rendre aux Mondiaux. Chaque contribution compte.

Bougeons ensemble!