We are the Valkyries, a women’s world chase tag team started by two friends who wanted to join in on the fun that is and will forever be World Chase Tag.

The Beginning:

In 2021, the buzz about a Women’s World Chase Tag exhibition in London reached us. Julie Lehmann felt the excitement and immediately thought of her friend, Elizabeth Hopkins. Julie reached out to Elizabeth with the idea of forming a team, and that’s when our adventure began.

We brainstormed names, initially landing on Venture Freerun because we liked the initials VF. However, it didn’t quite capture our essence. Elizabeth delved into Norse mythology and discovered the Valkyries, fierce female warriors. The name resonated with us, and when Elizabeth proposed it to Julie, Valkyrie Freerun was born.

Building the Team:

Our first steps were to build a team. We contacted women we thought might be interested and then set up training dates to begin training. For us, having fun, the willingness to meet and train together were important aspects.

Founders: Julie Lehmann and Elizabeth Hopkins are our rock, guiding the Valkyries through every challenge with unwavering dedication and love for the sport.

Tamara Lang: One of our first members, Tamara’s steady presence and uplifting spirit make her the heart of our team, always ready to lift us when we’re down.

At these initial stages, the team was graced by Imogen Anderson (Who was part of FUSE - one of the first women teams to play World Chase Tag) , Sana Iwao (The only woman to have a 100% tag rate and 100% evasion rate and played as Kunoichi for the American Championships) and Jess Chan (Founder and team captain of Kunoichi).

Zoe Hopkins: The youngest on the team. She asked her sister Elizabeth, if she could be part of the team and earned her place through her consistent practice, hard work and showing up at comps. Always being the first and last one on the quad. She is always surprising the team with how much she has improved.

Evelien Rosier: An ex-pro Belgium Rugby player. She has placed her mark on the team through her upbeat demeanour, constant willingness to improve, her quick analysis, and bringing that heat whenever she is on the quad. She took the Worlds by storm; lets see what surprises she has for everyone next.

Charlene Phan and Julie Soreau: Our "dynamic duo" from Parkour 59, Charlene and Julie S. are new but have already shown exceptional skill and agility on the Quad. We’re excited to see them grow with us.

The Future:

We are excited to keep growing as a team and do our part to support and expand the sport we love. We’re passionate about building up the WCT Women’s community and fostering a sense of camaraderie and empowerment.

With this in mind, we’ve started a series of Women’s WCT Workshops. We can’t wait to connect with more amazing women and share our love for World Chase Tag!