Maya Turner Makes History as First Female Canada West Football All-Star

Manitoba Bisons kicker Maya Turner has etched her name in the annals of Canadian football history by becoming the first woman ever to be named a Canada West All-Star,

Originally from Maple Grove, Minnesota, Turner began her university athletic career playing NCAA Division I soccer at Loyola University Chicago. Feeling unfulfilled, she made a bold decision to switch sports and pursue football—a game she had always admired but had limited opportunities to play.

“I wanted to do what I wanted to do and I wasn’t going to let anything stop me,” Turner said.

After honing her kicking skills through dedicated training and camps, Turner caught the attention of the Bisons’ coaching staff. Legendary Bisons Head coach Brian Dobie recalled her initial tryout to Mike Still of Bison Sports: “She can kick. She’s technically really, really good. She’s going to keep getting better and better.”

In 2022, Turner made history by becoming the first woman to play and score in a U SPORTS football game during a preseason matchup against the Saskatchewan Huskies. Her impact grew exponentially the following year. On September 23, 2023, in a crucial game against the Regina Rams, she became the first woman to play and score in a U SPORTS regular-season football game. Turner kicked a 21-yard field goal and later secured the game-winning field goal in double overtime, lifting the Bisons to a 27-24 victory.

“I remember after the game thinking this might be one of the best memories probably ever in sports that I’ve had,” Turner reflected to Mike Still of Bison Sports. “There was so much joy, the feeling of accomplishing something big that I’d never had before.”

Throughout the 2024 season, Turner showcased remarkable consistency. She connected on 12 of 16 field goal attempts, leading Canada West with a 75% success rate. Her longest field goal was a 48-yarder against the Saskatchewan Huskies, tying her career-high and ranking as the eighth-longest in the nation. She also made all 25 of her extra-point attempts.

“Her All-Star selection is further validation of the excellent football player that she has become,” said Coach Dobie. “We saw her as an athlete, a kicker, not ‘a girl who could kick.’ She has earned her position as a starter and she’s earned the respect of her teammates and opponents.”

Turner’s achievements are not only personal milestones but also significant strides for women in the sport of Football. She stands on the shoulders of trailblazers like linebacker Emmarae Dale, who broke barriers in 2021 when she joined the Saskatoon Hilltops to become the first woman to play in the Canadian Junior Football League, and Kristie Elliott, the first Canadian woman to score in an NCAA football game.

Emmarae Dale broke barriers in 2021 when she joined the Saskatoon Hilltops as a linebacker. “It was one of the hardest things I think I could have ever done,” Dale said. “There was nothing easy about it but it was one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.”

Maya Turner’s historic achievements have not only enriched the Canadian football landscape but also inspired a new generation of female athletes. Her milestones come at a unique time in Canadian football, where leagues such as the Western Women’s Canadian Football League, Central Canadian Women’s Football League, Prairie Girls Football League, Ontario Women’s Football League, Manitoba Girls Football Association and more are gaining a significant foothold in the national conversation surrounding football. Additionally, Football Canada’s women’s tackle events—such as the Women’s National Championship and the U18 Women’s National Championship—are growing year over year, reflecting the expanding opportunities and interest in women’s football across the nation.

“It’s really important for other girls to see that they can accomplish things like this,” Turner once said. “There’s still more to come.”