Karina LeBlanc to Be Honored Saturday as a Trailblazer for Women's Athletics

To commemorate 50 years of Title IX, Nebraska will celebrate a trailblazer in women's athletics at every home football game. Karina LeBlanc will be recognized and honored during the Wisconsin game this Saturday. 

Only a select few athletes actually ever achieve the status "legend."
  
Former Nebraska All-American Karina LeBlanc is one of them - officially. Arguably the greatest goalkeeper in Husker history, LeBlanc spent 18 years on the Canadian National Team after being named a finalist for the 2000 Hermann Trophy, which was presented to the NCAA's top women's soccer player. She competed in five World Cups for Canada and a pair of Olympic Games, including a bronze-medal winning performance in London in 2012.

Somehow, the shy, unassuming girl from Dominica who grew up "just wanting to be good" in a sport that she was introduced to when she arrived in Canada to complete her childhood, not only grew into a legendary goalkeeper, but was officially granted "legend" status by FIFA (Federation International Football Association) - the world governing body for the sport.
    
Her position as a FIFA Legend earned her superhero status heading into the 2019 Women's World Cup in France. She was one of 23 FIFA Legends, and was labeled with an alter ego - Karina "LeBlur" - who is "blessed with superhuman reflexes allowing her to react with incredible speed." 

While the soccer world labeled LeBlanc's accomplishments "superhuman," she maintains a decidedly different perspective.

"I just wanted to make the most of whatever skills I had. I just wanted to be the best college athlete I could be and then the World Cup showed up. I never aspired to be a FIFA Legend, not at all. I still don't see myself as being that special. I am just a little girl living my dream. The sport of soccer has allowed me to become a woman who can go out and keep surprising myself."

LeBlanc's vibrant personality has been on full display for decades, dating back to her earliest days as a Husker. A daring goalkeeper who had no problem playing with the ball at her feet near midfield, LeBlanc recorded two assists as a senior for the Huskers in 2000. She finished with a 60-6-3 career record while producing a career goals-against average of 0.54. As a senior, her 0.40 goals-against average ranked No. 2 in the nation. 

LeBlanc was a ferocious communicator who kept nearly impenetrable Nebraska defenses in order against the NCAA's best teams. The 1999 Huskers outscored the opposition 108-14 on their way to a 22-1-2 record, including a 10-0 Big 12 mark while sweeping the conference regular-season and tournament titles. As a senior in 2000, LeBlanc's Huskers again swept the Big 12 titles and finished with a 22-2 record while recording 16 shutouts and surrendering just 10 goals the entire season.

"She was such a key player on so many conference championship teams here at Nebraska," Head Coach John Walker said. "She improved greatly during her time, not only  in soccer but also in areas of leadership and understanding how to use her energy and enthusiasm to positively influence her teammates."

For LeBlanc, Nebraska became her proving ground as a player, a person and a leader.

"Nebraska taught me that my voice mattered and to surround myself with like-minded people," LeBlanc said. "I learned to stay authentic to who I am. Now I can share my views on women's football and use my voice for a reason. I want to try to have a positive impact on everyone."

In 1999, she was part of the best Husker team in history. The Huskers advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals to play a four-overtime thriller against Notre Dame at the Abbott Sports Complex in Lincoln. The Huskers fell in penalty kicks in a game that officially ended as a 1-1 tie - at the time, the longest game in NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament history, in front of a crowd of 3,702 fans at a stadium that listed an official capacity of 2,500.

"It is still one of the most vivid memories I have - the game against Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament," LeBlanc said. "The fans and the excitement of being in that moment. It was the culmination of our journey together going through that whole season. I remember the looks in everyone's eyes. The journey is the exciting part, understanding all of these people are there to help support you. You get the chance to play in the best facilities and be successful while you are playing alongside girls who are your best friends."

As a player, LeBlanc graduated to much bigger stages, culminating with her fifth Women's World Cup while playing in Canada in 2015.

"The stadiums were bigger, the crowds were bigger, the stage was bigger, but the feelings were the same," LeBlanc said. "It was looking side-to-side and seeing your best friends, like-minded women driven by something bigger than themselves. Playing for your country on your home soil. As a soccer player, I got to wave goodbye to my home fans in my home country. It was a perfect way to end it. I still love being a part of the game and hopefully I can share my love to help grow the game for young girls in so many countries around the world."

LeBlanc's desire to grow women's soccer combines her own story with all of her passions. She was a voice off the field during the 2019 Women's World Cup as a studio host for FOX Sports in its start-to-finish coverage of the games from France. Her work with FOX, combined with her position as the first Head of Women's Football for CONCACAF (The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football), made LeBlanc one of the most influential women in the soccer world.
    
She served in her role at CONCACAF from 2019 through 2021.

LeBlanc continued her own career path in a new direction in 2022, becoming the General Manager of the Portland Thorns in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She also remains involved in the FIFA Women's Leadership Program and continues in a near decade-long volunteer role as a UNICEF Canada Ambassador.

"We are giving young girls voices. They learn discipline, learn to stay on their goals and they learn to deal with failure," LeBlanc said. "Life is not all happy and smiles, but I am not afraid to deal with being uncomfortable."