1. Desiree Scott
2. Nikolaj Ehlers
3. John Rush

Desiree Scott, Winnipeg-born soccer star, has been a favourite of Uniter readers for a few years. In 2019, she was also voted favourite local athlete. Last year, she received the second-most votes.

Scott, who grew up in Winnipeg and attended the University of Manitoba, has played for Canada’s national team since 2010 and plays for the professional team Kansas City Current.

Jeanette Sivilay, a local soccer fan, says in an email to The Uniter that she is not surprised that Scott was voted Winnipeg’s favourite local athlete.

“She’s consistent, is a leader and gets the job done,” she says, adding that her “nickname is the Destroyer, and she is an absolute powerhouse on the field.”

Scott’s accomplishments include a gold medal at the 2011 Pan American Games, bronze medals at the 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympics and a gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics (held this year).

“It’s been really exciting to see the women’s national soccer team come into the success they deserve,” Sivilay says.

“Honestly, to see a strong group of Canadian women work together so well as a team to dominate their sport is really inspiring for fans like me,” she says. “I really hope we get to see a national women’s league start up.”

In addition to Scott’s successful international career, she has also been involved in sport outreach initiatives like the Homeless World Cup Foundation.

“I had the pleasure of meeting her when she came through town afterward, and she was so warm and welcoming to everyone she met,” Sivilay says. “We really have amazing local athletes.”

Published in Volume 76, Number 12 of The Uniter (December 2, 2021)