The LIWSA membership has a vast number of essential services employees, ranging from medical doctors, nurses, home caregivers, public transportation drivers, and commercial/retail employees, just to name a few. We encourage LIWSA teams to put forth names of any teammate that falls under this category so that we may honour and show our support for their service during this COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you to all who are fulfilling their duties during these trying times, and we hope that you stay safe and healthy alongside your respective families. LIWSA’s highlighted nomination(s) for Footballer of the Week, are Dr. Tracy Forsberg and Shari Jonasson from Castaways United 30A.
Castaways United – O30A
Dr. Tracy Forsberg
Dr. Forsberg spent most of her early years in Vernon, studied Biology at Simon Fraser University and graduated from Medical School at the University of British Columbia in 2002. She practiced in rural BC, the Northwest Territories and New Zealand before starting a medical practice in Sooke in 2006 (West Coast Family Medical Clinic), where she is the current Medical Director for Sooke Hospice and family doctor.
Tracy played for Castaways FC the majority of her career. Upon moving to Victoria, she joined the premier team at the time and became inter-twined in the social aspects of the club and the close group of players at that time. As the years ticked by Tracy became a mom and took some time away from soccer to raise her two kids as while she continued working as an MD. Her husband, also an MD, grew up in Sooke and it was only a matter of time before they gravitated back out that way. As the kids were still young and Tracy tossed around the idea of getting back into soccer she decided get back into soccer out in Sooke. She provided a nice injection to the Sooke Div 2 team where she could provide some wisdom to a team of younger players. The Sooke team thrived and Castaways missed her. After being bugged by some of her old pals Tracy made the leap back to Castaways O30’s where her old grey mares from her former premier days had “gone out to pasture”. She is a leader on the team and the captain. Tracy still dedicates a lot of her time to Sooke soccer with her daughter, Liv, now becoming a budding star with Tracy as the team coach.
We’d like to honor Tracy and her dedication to both the soccer community and the health care industry during this time. She has transitioned her work to accommodate more virtual patient check-ins and makes herself available to those in need medically during this COVID time. If you know Tracy, she has a great sense of humor and will often be lifting spirits just with some of her off-handed comments within our own team chat. Thank you, Tracy, for all that you are doing on the front lines during the pandemic.
Shari Jonasson
Shari grew up in the Lower Mainland but and made her way to the island after high school where she worked at Thrifty Foods for many years. After realizing that the grocery industry wasn’t her life long dream and that she wanted to do something where she was helping people, she managed to put herself through nursing school here in Victoria. She joined the Castaways FC Premier team back when she first moved to Victoria as a way to meet people and stay active. She has made so many friends through the sport of soccer and is the reason she is still playing even after multiple concussions. Shari expends a lot of her physical and emotional energy caring for others and soccer is one outlet that she cherishes. She is currently the Clinical Nurse Leader of the RJH Medical Out Patient Clinics and the UMAC (urgent medical assessment clinics) for RJH and VGH. She coordinates flow in and out of the clinics as well as provide hands on clinical support for the staff. During the COVID crisis, Shari has had the added responsibility of monitoring and locking away PPE in her office so it doesn’t get stolen. We want to recognize Shari and all she does to support those in the community and the fight against COVID-19 here on the island. Thank you Shari from all your soccer friends.
