Community has been at the heart of Kadeisha Buchanan’s journey. From playing youth football in Brampton, Ontario, to the vast success she has experienced with club and country.

Born into a football family –  her dad played for several local teams and her older sisters were also involved in the sport – it was almost inevitable that Kadeisha’s passion for the game would follow.

But it wasn’t passion alone that has seen her reach dizzy heights in the game. The support of her family and a wide circle of people helped pave the way for the Canadian defender’s career.

‘For me, it’s more about community,’ the 28-year-old says. ‘That’s why I have a big community tattoo on my arm.

‘It takes a village to raise a child and it took many people to get me to where I am today, including my family, my mum – a single mum with seven kids – and two of my older sisters who played soccer as well.

‘We all started playing at the same time, so it was hard to make ends meet with the fees that needed to be paid and to take us all to soccer. We leaned on the community to help us.

‘One family got me a season pass for an amusement park and things like that helped me feel more like a kid. If I hadn’t been part of the community, I wouldn’t have been able to do those things.

‘A lot of times with what I do now, I’m not just doing it for myself but for the people who put in their work and time to help me and my family.’

Playing football with two of her older sisters meant Kadeisha’s football skills were tested from an early age – and those battles in the backyard were the groundwork for future battles at the Bridge.

‘It was very competitive with my sisters,’ she adds. ‘Definitely a lot of tears from losing… or from them cheating. My mum had to step in sometimes and be goalie! She was pretty good actually.

‘They definitely helped me be the best version of myself because they didn’t make it easy. One of my sisters was rapid fast, so it was hard to catch up with her, and one was so physical it was always like a battle.’

Included in the community Kadeisha speaks highly of – and is so grateful for – is lifelong friend and current Chelsea teammate Ashley Lawrence.

‘I have known Ashley since I was like eight years old,’ Buchanan recalls. 'There were many times I slept over at her house and Ashley’s mum, Tina, would pick me up from training.’

And what would young Kadeisha and Ashley say if you told them during those sleepovers and car rides that one day they would compete and win at the highest level? And that they would do it together?

‘Me and Ashley always made these pacts when we went from team to team,’ Buchanan says. ‘We were on the same team and then switched, ended up back on the same team, and then went to college together.

‘We always were like: “OK, so we’re going to take over this team” or “Let’s be the leaders in this team” – we always had our own goals because we have this connection on the field, which I love.

‘We give each other confidence and we know what each other needs. When we split after college, she went to PSG and I went to Lyon, big rivals in France. But we always said we’d play on the same team again.

‘Being here at the same club, it’s really special to share the many memories we’ve made.’

To have won what Kadeisha has in her career thus far – 11 domestic trophies between spells in France and England, five Champions League titles, an Olympic bronze and gold medal – is a testament to the community that helped raise her.

And as her career progresses, and hopefully with many more triumphs to come, giving back to those who supported her throughout is always at the forefront of her ambitions.

‘I feel like I am always trying to repay them,’ she says. ‘Even when times get hard, I don’t give up because nobody gave up on me. I always have that mentality.

‘There are hard times and there have been before, but I have made it through. It’s always just having that patience and the storm will pass. You just have to keep working hard and keep going.’

The biggest achievement she has shared with her support network is her gold-medal triumph at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

En route to gold, Kadeisha featured in each of Canada’s six matches and played a pivotal role in a defensive unit that only conceded four goals and kept clean sheets against Brazil and the USA in the knockout rounds.

‘The proudest moment would have to be when we won the gold medal in Tokyo,’ Buchanan says. ‘Ashley’s mum set up this watch party and had a big screen and people watching remotely.

‘When I won the medal, I was on the field on FaceTime with my family back home. It was just a really proud moment for me and us all.’

Kadeisha’s family’s pride shines through whether they are watching from near or far, but their presence is particularly felt by the defender when they can attend her matches.

‘I feel like sometimes they are fans, like calm down!’ she jokes. ‘They are just very proud. When they come to games, they still want my autograph and pictures. But I think I should go to some other people first because I know my family will always be there.’

It is clear there is no single figure, nor one voice, who has helped Kadeisha become the player she is. There is one bit of advice, though, that still rings true to her to this day.

‘It’s never about who gets there the fastest,’ Buchanan says. ‘It’s about the journey and being patient.

'I feel everyone was patient with me and let me be who I am. Nobody ever rushed me or said I should be at this point or at that point because if I wasn't then I was never going to make it.

‘They all made clear that patience was key and made sure I worked hard when no one was watching or even if they were because they said the hard work will pay off one day.’

How right they were.