In an adidas’ video campaign, launched earlier this year, some of the LPGA Tour’s biggest major champions like Danielle Kang, Jessica Korda, and Paula Creamer stand side-by-side with young girls playing golf, ready to take up the mantel of the best in the game. It’s empowering and promotional, and lets the viewers know that the game is in good hands – no matter the gender of who is playing it.

Canadian Brittany Marchand, an adidas ambassador, says she immediately felt a sense of pride when she saw the video for the first time. To represent a company whose main focus is empowering women, is great. The campaign is exactly what’s needed, she says.

“There are a lot of girls who don’t have the role models that I think they need in sports,” she says, “and I think that’s why bringing visibility of other sports and women playing them is important.”

Marchand has been on the LPGA Tour for the last two years and says there have been more girls out following along these days. Thinking back to when she was younger, she says, the interest has definitely grown.

“Even when I look at how many girls have played at junior programs at clubs when I was growing up compared to how many girls are playing in junior programs now I think it’s definitely improved,” she explains.

Thank you @LPGAfounders for an inspiring week! It’s so great to get the opportunity to thank the amazing women who worked so hard to make it possible for us to make a living playing the sport we love⛳️ 💕 A very fitting week to announce the @LPGA #DriveOn campaign as well!

— Brittany Marchand (@Britt_Marchand) March 25, 2019

adidas has long been a key brand in the promotion and support of women’s athletics, including golf. Marchand says she wore adidas’ clothes while in college and the transition to her being a professional golfer, and continuing to wear adidas, has been easy.

She calls adidas’ clothes both stylish and performance-based, pointing to a new pant for 2019 that looks more like a jogger.

“You could wear them as a more casual pant outside of golf too,” she says. “They do a good job of making it stylish on and off the golf course.”

While Marchand is pleased with both adidas’ clothing these days and its new brand campaign, she has a personal connection to growing the presence of women in male-dominated fields.

A graduate of North Carolina State University, Marchand has a chemical engineering degree. She’s now an advocate for “Let’s Talk Science,” an initiative designed to engage children of all ages in science, technology, engineering, and math experiences.

Marchand laughs when recalling that not only was being a woman in engineering something that made her stand out, but since she was also a varsity athlete, she was often running into class late in raining golf gear – including rain pants.

“For me (school) was tough because it wasn’t my 100 per cent focus. I knew some other girls were really good examples. They knew their stuff and were super smart in what they were doing. They knew what their end goal was and they rocked it all through college,” she says.

While Marchand is now trying to be an example for young girls in the classroom, she’s already a good example for young girls on the golf course – just like her fellow adidas ambassadors in the brand’s latest campaign.

“I do really want to show what is possible. When people tell you ‘no’ you should definitely not listen,” she says with a laugh, as she recalls many schools that advised her to not take engineering and play golf.

“Giving girls more ideas about possibilities and options are awesome.”

Marchand is one of 15 Canadians competing this week at the CP Women’s Open where fellow Canadian and Golf Town athlete Brooke Henderson looks to defend her title.