Northern Lights Women's Development Program

Hi! I'm Ellen, I have a progressive condition affecting my muscles, and wheelchair rugby changed my life. Not only by keeping me in health, but I have gained confidence and found community and friends that support me.

The Northern Lights Women’s Development Program has been a major contributor to my wheelchair rugby experience by providing me and other Canadian female athletes with training and competition opportunities.

However, all Northern Lights initiatives and opportunities are volunteer-led and highly depend on funding support through donations and fundraising. Be part of the movement! Your support helps grow participation and elevate the visibility of women in wheelchair rugby.

  ✨LIGHTS ON: 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.

A word 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.

Follow Our Journey On Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Northernlightswheelchairrugby

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northernlightswheelchairrugby/

Website: https://wheelchairrugby.ca/womens-development-program/