Through Make-A-Wish Canada, Zoe's wish of joining Atlético Ottawa's first team became a reality as the club welcomed her on a special one day contract which gave her the full professional soccer player experience alongside the Atleti family.
As soon as she arrived Zoe was treated like a member of the squad. She signed her one day contract alongside club leadership before receiving her own first-team kit and locker inside the dressing room. She later took on the role of Community Captain on matchday tying up the amazing and extremely memorable experience.
For Zoe, the day meant more than simply stepping onto the pitch. She spoke about how she got to show her skills to the Atleti crew and is quoted saying "It was really fun because the players are all really nice. When people say Atlético Ottawa is a family, I could see they were speaking from the heart because it really was".
Zoe's love for the sport has helped her in some difficult moments and her parents describe her as having the soul of an athlete with the feeling of determination and the need to keep moving forward. They explained how soccer has become such an important source of happiness in her life.
Zoe's parents loved getting to experience this moment with her as they spoke about how soccer days are better than non soccer days, adding that Zoe feels free when she is on the pitch.
When asked why she chose to join the Men's team Zoe offered a unique perspective that this experience was a wish not a dream, a dream is something she can work towards and a wish is something that she will never be able to do.
That special wish brought Zoe into the heart of the Atleti family and the club as a whole. She spent the day alongside players, sharing their locker room and taking part of their routines that was sure to leave a lasting impression on her.
Zoe's parents joked that she was getting to experience the feeling of 20 new big brothers all of whom share her same passion for the game.
While her Make-A-Wish experience has come to an end, Zoe's sports journey is just beginning. Her sister is confident that she will one day play for a major sports team. After seeing her passion and love for the game Atlético Ottawa will be cheering her on wherever her journey takes her.
Atlético Ottawa thanks Zoe and Make-A-Wish Canada for trusting us in this experience and we are delighted to see first hand the impact Atlético Ottawa and the Canadian Premier League can have on someone's life.