In the dictionary, the literal meaning of being fearless is to lack fear. But when you look outside the box of the definition, and figure out what it means to call someone fearless, it becomes evident that there’s a lot more at play than just two words. This person is bold, brave, courageous in the face of fear and undaunting in their pursuits. All four of these characteristics define defensive lineman Maggie Yestrau perfectly.
A single mother to long-time offensive lineman Chase (member of the Sunrise Coyotes, Winnipeg Rifles and St. Vital Mustangs), Maggie has demonstrated exceptional resilience her entire life. She lives with anxiety and depression, facing her biggest fears with spirit and tenacity every single day. On top of that, in 2013 she was thrown from a sled into a tree and shattered her pelvis, broke her back and snapped her coccyx off.
At the time, he was declared permanently disabled, but through immense commitment she’s been able to throw that prognosis out the window. She went from wheelchair to walker to cane, and by 2016 she was walking on her own. That’s when she started going to the gym, which is what helped get her back to where she is today.
Facing another fear
Two years later, Maggie faced another massive fear when she signed up to play for the Manitoba Fearless in the Western Women’s Canadian Football League (WWCFL), available for those aged 16 and up.
“I just really saw how much it meant to Chase to be on a team,” she recalled. “I’d never had that my whole life so I wanted to try. After the first year, I just loved the culture, the coaching, the environment and the work ethic.”
The first practice was admittedly “terrifying,” because of Maggie’s battles with anxiety and depression, but she had Chase by her side. She wasn’t originally going to come back because she didn’t know anyone, but just like in her rehab journey, she chose not to give up and pushed herself. The reward was immense.
“It was another one of those mental health things where you have to kind of step out of your box and realize things are going to be okay. The tenacity you need to play football was the same thing I needed to get mobile and get my range of motion back. Mentally for me, it’s a happy time now. I look forward to being at practice. It’s aggressive, busy and fast but I love being there. You can walk in feeling like crap and walk out feeling good because you gave it your all.”
Playing on the line has helped foster Maggie’s understanding of the sport, because “you’re on every play and you have to be on it all the time.” She’s been mentored by like the likes of defensive line coach Rob Baillie and head coach and defensive coordinator Brett MacFarlane, who’ve helped her go from being “in a fog” to understanding what she needs to do.
“Coach Baillie was amazing and patient with me, and Brett is always finding a way for you to improve for the better of the team and he never makes you feel stupid,” she noted. “When he explains stuff and I kind of tilt my head like a puppy, he just explains it again in a different way. He’s super smart.”
MacFarlane also fostered Maggie’s growth in the offseason by encouraging her to train with teammates at Crossfit Corydon. It’s made a difference in her strength, both on and off the field and also improved her range of motion from the sled accident.
“Year one, coach Brett asked me if I wanted to come back. I said I do, but I want to be an athlete. I want to be like [running back] Hallie [Eggie] and I want to be like [lineman Lori] Turski and I want to be like [defensive lineman] Brooklyn [Dyce]. Tell me what to do. That’s when I started with the group,” she said.
“Coach Brett suggested that we do that if we wanted to get stronger and better, so that’s what I did. I just did what my coach told me. I’ve been doing it ever since. This year I feel like I have the ability to be a real asset to my team and not just fill a spot.”
‘The teacher is now the student’
When Maggie stepped on the field for team sessions in 2022, she “actually knew what was going on, and feels like is “her year.” It helps having Chase to practice against in her spare time. He also goes through her playbook with her and films her practices, which has “saved my coaches from having to answer lots of questions.
“It’s kind of neat. I’ve told him a couple of times that the teacher is now the student. He started at seven and all the times I drove him to football, now he drives me to my games. Game day, it doesn’t matter what’s going on, Chase drives me to my games. He spends the hours that it takes on game day to prep for a game and then drives me home and we usually go eat after,” Maggie recalls fondly.
“It’s kind of cool. I raised him by myself so we kind of have a friendship but there’s also a mutual respect there. I said to him the other day, Chaser, coach said I did a good job, I was explosive and aggressive. I’ve been waiting for that, and he goes ‘no mom, you haven’t been waiting. You’ve been working for that.’”