A Chatham-Kent (CK) teen is back home with a shiny new gold medal.
Paisley Fraleigh was a part of Team Ontario's winning team at the 2026 U18 Women’s Tackle National Championship in Regina.
She was on the provincial team last year, which came second in Calgary.
Fraleigh told CK News Today the loss was something she couldn't forget.
"I looked at the silver medal every night, and I'm like, that needs to be gold," she explained.
Ontario beat Quebec 68-8 in the championship game.
The team ended the tournament with a 5-0 record, outscoring opponents 183-20.
Despite playing both linebacker and defensive back, Fraleigh couldn't say whether the defence or offence had the better tournament.
"You can't have a good offence without a good defence, and you can't have a good defence without a good offence," she explained.
This was the last time Fraleigh would suit up for the U18 squad. She's hoping her success will encourage other girls across CK to follow suit and consider playing football.
