In this edition, we highlight six Black Canadian women who have opened doors in winter…
KAITLYN’S SPORT STORIES: SEPTEMBER 3, 2025
In this edition, we catch up on the highlights of the CPKC Women’s Open golf tournament. We also take a look at how Team Canada landed with a strong silver medal performance throughout the inaugural Women’s Para Hockey Worlds and recap how our Canadian female tennis players have been doing so far during the US Open. Lastly, we share Team Canada‘s impressive start during the Women’s Rugby World Cup and the top moments of inspiration from our Girls Forward Built to Play soccer program‘s last session of the summer that included some members from AFC Toronto.
brooke henderson wins the 2025 cpkc wOMEN’S oPEN
It was a very patriotic golf tournament at this year’s Canadian CPKC Women’s Open!
Canada’s own Brooke Henderson claimed victory at the 2025 event, hosted at the Mississauga Golf and Country Club, in Mississauga, ON.
The Smith Falls, Ontario native captured her second CPKC Women’s Open title. Her first came in 2018 in Regina, Saskatchewan, where she became the first Canadian player in 45 years to win the event.
With her latest win in August 2025, Henderson now holds 14 LPGA Tour titles.
Another standout at this year’s tournament was Calgary’s Aphrodite Deng. She made her LPGA debut at the tournament this year, and finished with a 20th place ranking.
Deng first picked up golf in 2020, after COVID restrictions sidelined her figure skating. She made history this July 2025 as the first Canadian to win the U.S. Junior Girls Championship.
Looking ahead, the Canadian CPKC Women’s Open tournament will be hosted at Edmonton’s Royal Mayfair Golf Club in 2026.
TEAM CANADA WINS SILVER DURING INAUGURAL WOMEN’S PARA HOCKEY WORLDS
Team Canada secured silver at the first-ever Women’s Para Hockey World Championships in Slovakia. After dominant wins over Team World (10-0), Great Britain (7-0), and Norway (7-0), they advanced to the finals with a chance at gold.
In their finals game against the United States, Canada fell short with a final score of 7-1 but proudly brought home the silver medal.
The inaugural tournament featured six teams: Canada, United States, Great Britain, Australia, Norway, and Team World (which consisted of players from nine other countries).
CANADIAN PLAYER UPDATES DURING 2025 US OPEN
The 2025 US Open‘s theme this year is “75 Years of Breaking Barriers,” honouring trailblazer Althea Gibson. She would have been 98 years old this year. In 1950, Gibson broke the colour barrier in tennis, becoming the first Black person to compete in the U.S. National Championships, now known as the US Open.
One of the most anticipated players this year was Canadian rising star Victoria “Vicky” Mboko, fresh off her National Bank Open title. She unfortunately exited in the first round after a 6-3, 6-2 loss to Barbara Krejčíková.
On the women’s doubles side, Canadian player Leylah Fernandez teamed up with Venus Williams, who called Fernandez the best partner she’s had aside from her sister, Serena Williams– a major compliment! The duo reached the quarterfinals before falling to Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova with a final score of 6-1, 6-2.
Meanwhile, Canada’s Gabriela Dabrowski and partner Erin Routliffe advanced from the quarterfinals to the semifinals after winning against Timea Babos and Luisa Stefani with a score of 0-6, 6-4, 6-4.
strong start for CANADIAN WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM DURING WOMEN’S RUGBY WORLD CUP
The Women’s Rugby World Cup kicked off on August 22. This year’s tournament includes 32 matches and has already sold 375,000 of its 470,000 tickets available. That is three times the number of tickets sold at the last World Cup in New Zealand. Organizers predict this World Cup to be the most attended women’s rugby union match in history.
Canada is off to a hot start in their first two games. In Game 1, Canada defeated Fiji with a score of 65-7 and in Game 2, defeated Wales with a score of 42-0.
Next up, on Saturday, September 6, at 7 AM EST, Canada will face Scotland.
BUILT TO PLAY PROGRAM CELEBRATES LAST SUMMER SESSION WITH AFC TORONTO GUESTS
Kaitlyn was in attendance to cover and witness the final Built to Play soccer program session of the summer. It was a joy to see the connection, inspiration, and impact in person.
The last session had some special guests: AFC Toronto‘s Assistant Coach, Sylvia Forbes, along with players Nyota Katembo and Nikayla “Nikki” Small. The three spent the session engaging with every age group of girls participating in the program.
When meeting some of the AFC Toronto crew, you could overhear them asking the girls if they knew of women’s soccer stars, like Christine Sinclair and Alex Morgan. Hands shot up. How special to have role models not only on TV screens but also right there on the field with them.
Forbes, Katembo, and Small were hands-on and accessible, jumping in to assist coaches and volunteers while making sure each girl felt seen. They signed t-shirts and soccer balls, shared more about their team, and told the girls where they play their home games and when fans can come cheer them on.
For many of the girls, the moment became even more impactful when coaches pointed out, “These are the players on our TV.” It was a reminder that these women are part of a professional women’s soccer team, and proof that a career in sports is possible, right here in Toronto.
The stories of the week show girls in sport and physical activity that:
- Hosting tournaments, games, and leagues in Canada, while showcasing both established and emerging Canadian female athletes- is a winning combination. Fans continue to show up for these players, proving the demand is there.
- The inaugural Women’s Para Hockey Worlds, where Team Canada captured silver, showcased their incredible talent. The hope is that this momentum brings more recognition and funding to the sport and to Canada’s para hockey program.
- When professional players and coaches attend a girls soccer program, it reinforces the importance of creating these opportunities and the generosity of these players and coaches. It also gives the girls a new kind of inspiration and joy, seeing firsthand what is possible in their own sporting journeys.
Kaitlyn’s Sport Stories Recap are written by Kaitlyn Lehbert, a passionate and driven sport advocate for girls and women. Kaitlyn holds her Bachelor’s degree in Sports Management from Brock University. Learn more about Kaitlyn by clicking here!
Have a sport story you want to share? Contact info@girlsforward.ca and it may get featured in Kaitlyn’s next feature.
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