People don't usually think of women taking up football, let alone a woman that is 51 years old, namely Leanne Coleman.

At the age when most people start to think about retirement plans, Leanne Coleman is ... living out her dream playing the game of football for the Edmonton Storm. The Storm play in the Western Women’s Canadian Football League — an eight-team league that has teams all across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Her positon? Defensive tackle.
“I’m a 51-year-old rookie. I’ve waited 40 years for my opportunity to play football and I’m loving every minute of it,” said Coleman, who made her regular season debut for the Storm last week in a decisive victory over the Grande Prairie Anarchy. Coleman always felt her gridiron dreams were nothing more than a pipe dream, but after finding out about the Storm on Facebook, she was eager to at least go to the tryout camp. ...
“I thought I would go to the winter camp. I honestly thought I would get a handshake and a ‘Thanks for coming out, here’s your free t-shirt’ but they were like we want you to play,” said Coleman. “I live two hours away, and I wasn’t sure if I could commit to it, but I thought I might as well exhaust myself than live with the regret for not giving myself this opportunity.”
Coleman, who lives near Rimbey, makes the four-hour drive (round trip) twice a week for practices. The team also has home and road games once a week throughout the season. She attended the tryout camp in December and started indoor practices with the Storm in February.
It’s a big commitment — but not too big for Coleman, whose passion for football is off the charts. She manages a pharmacy in Rimbey and has had to make some sacrifices at work and at home, but she’s making it work to live out this dream.
“(My husband) goes to work and tells the guys about my bruises and he tells me, ‘You know, those bruises aren’t sexy.’ And I just tell him I’m not trying to be sexy, it’s just part of the game,” said Coleman. “He thought I was crazy for wanting to give this a go, but I honestly couldn’t do it without his support. It’s a lot of time and dedication, and he’s behind me 100 per cent, and I’m so grateful.”
Her willingness to achieve this dream has inspired her teammates, her coaches and her family. One of the reasons why she wanted to take this chance to play the game she’s loved for over 40 years is to show her kids the true meaning of hard work and determination. “My youngest daughter calls me Wonder Woman and I want to set a good example for my daughters. If you have a dream … never give up on it, because here I am a 51-year-old rookie playing football,” said Coleman.
In the 11-year history of the Storm, Coleman is the oldest player to ever suit up for the team. The impression she’s made on the coaching staff has been nothing but admiration.
“She’s blown my mind. She’s willing to do whatever it takes,” said Storm head coach Karin Simmons. b“She brings a can-do attitude. I find that our defence doesn’t seem to complain about being tired or exhausted, because they look over and see a 51-year-old banging bodies and not complaining about anything. I think all of her teammates are inspired by her.”
Coleman is taking this experience and living in the moment. She loves the feeling of having pre-game butterflies. She enjoys the team camaraderie and she loves to run out on the field and make tackles like her childhood idol Dan Kepley did for the Edmonton Eskimos.
The way she embraces and plays the game, you’d never know that there is generations between her teammates and her opponents.
“For myself, because I thought this opportunity passed me by, I’m so happy to be out there. I have a feeling of total elation. Its like a dream, and I’m living this experience to the fullest,” said Coleman. “I said I’d only play one year, but I’m having too much fun. I think I will want to do at least one more year. I will keep going until I can’t.”
http://www.edmontonsun.com/2016/05/1...lifelong-dream