Konya Plummer (right) of Jamaica and Tamires of Brazil vie for the ball during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Group C match at Alpes Stadium in Grenoble, central-eastern France, on June 9, 2019. (Photo: AFP)
KONYA Plummer, the stalwart Jamaica Reggae Girlz defender, is about to embark on another historic journey as the team begins its bid to qualify for the 2027 FIFA’s Women World Cup in Brazil.
The Reggae Girlz are set to open their Group B Concacaf qualifying campaign on Saturday against Dominica at Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia. The other teams in the group are Guyana, Nicaragua, and Antigua and Barbuda.
But Plummer’s sojourn has not been straightforward. She once grappled with the thought of quitting football after discovering she was pregnant.
The former captain, who led Jamaica to their maiden FIFA Women’s World Cup appearance in 2019, admitted that the news was unexpected but it eventually ignited an unyielding fire within her.
“There were several times I wanted to quit football,” Plummer, 28, confessed during a recent Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) interview.
“Being a mom, I think it was the greatest thing that could have happened to me just to know that my legacy is continuing on, and having a son makes me want to push harder for everything in life.
“I know that this was an opportunity for me to go the extra mile. There’s not one time I consider, like, getting rid of my son. I know it was unexpected, and I think I was too young,” Plummer said.
Plummer recalls the whirlwind.
“So leaving from Sweden at the time, I was getting a lot of offers to go to some big clubs and then in that same week I found out that I was pregnant. Now, I have to start think like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is the end of my career,’ like I was never going to get to this high. But two, three months in I started to think for [the] future, like what am I going to do after football,” she explained.
The turning point came when Jamaica qualified for a second-consecutive World Cup in 2023 during which they made it to the round of 16.
“Up to nine months [into the pregnancy] I didn’t want to play football. And then I found out that we [Reggae Girlz] have qualified for a second-consecutive World Cup, and it was something that changed my mind. It makes me want to go and work for something. I was sad that I wasn’t there but I know I would be ready for the upcoming games,” Plummer said.
Despite the challenges of motherhood and an eight-hour time difference from her son, Plummer’s resolve has never wavered.
“I think after having a baby there’s a strength within me that I didn’t know I had. I think I can do so many things but it was hard, in my case, having to be like [separated from him by] eight hours’ time difference. And so, my son stays [with] my aunt most times but he visits me,” she said, her voice filled with emotion.
Beyond the pitch, Plummer’s vision expanded. Inspired by her journey she created the Konya Plummer Community Grant, a charity which is a testament to her faith and desire to uplift others.
“I started reading and praying a lot, and while I sat at my table doing devotion this idea came to me, and I know it was God. I instantly drew a logo and I said I know what I wanted to do. In case football does work out, this is what I wanted to do.
“This was also a way of giving opportunity to people that don’t have. I was fortunate to have coaches and people who helped me and so I know what I needed and know what I didn’t have.
“So with me creating [the] Konya Plummer Community Grant it was the opportunity to give a lending hand. I think it is important to give back, and I wanted to be a part of something that is more than myself,” she said.
Jamaica’s defender Konya Plummer (left) challenges South Africa’s Jermaine Seoposenwe during international friendly football match at Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban, South Africa, on April 7, 2019.(Photos: AFP)
Italy’s Cristiana Girelli (left) kicks the ball under pressure from Jamaica’s Konya Plummer during the FIFA Women’s World Cup Group C football match at Auguste-Delaune Stadium in Reims, France, on June 14, 2019.
Karla Riley (left) of Panama falls in front of Konya Plummer of Jamaica during the Concacaf Women’s Championship third-place match at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, on October 17, 2018.
