Express YSS headed to Signal Hill Secondary School in Tobago to meet up with Ashante Wilson-Campbell. She is eighteen years old and very passionate about football. She eats, sleeps and breathes the sport. Ashante says she is very quiet at school and tries to stay out of trouble. When people see how aggressive she is on the football field, they often question if she is the same quiet person they just met.
Ashante has two brothers and three sisters. She is the last child and the only one that plays football. She got into football at the age of eight. Growing up, she saw her father and her uncles playing the game. She was also exposed to track and field and cricket, but football always had her heart. She says football allows her to be her true self on the field, and it helps bring out her inner lioness.
Ashante thanks God for her natural ability in the sport, and says that her biggest motivation is her family. She is also blessed with a supportive village. They constantly encourage her to keep doing her best. Her teachers at Signal Hill Secondary and the coaches and staff of Jewel Sports Club have developed her into the player she is today. She is very proud of earning selection on the national under-15 team in 2018 and skippering Signal Hill Secondary to victory in the national SSFL Big 5 competition.
Ashante stresses the need to continually put your best foot forward on the football field and to fight to the last whistle since everything could change at any moment. She sees herself becoming a professional footballer. Academically, she is aiming for a BSC in Sports Management. Ashante admires Lionel Messi and N'Golo Kanté.
It has been a struggle for Ashante to keep focused and motivated through the Covid-19 pandemic. Additionally, she recently lost her beloved aunt, who was a big part of her support system. She wants to keep growing in order to honour her aunt’s memory.
Ashante is grateful for life and the amazing people around her who encourage her to reach her goals. She would love for the decision-makers in sport to recognise that Trinidad and Tobago has many great female athletes. Ashante wants them to provide more opportunities and platforms for females to flourish, not only in football but in all sports.
SOURCE: T&T Express