Smith was raised in the Canadian town of Whitby, where her father, Sean, encouraged her to take up football from an early age.
She bounced between local clubs each season and played on boys’ teams until she was 12, before eventually joining a girls’ side.
Exceptionally gifted, she kept training with boys while growing up in the culturally diverse communities around Toronto.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Smith said her parents made significant sacrifices, from constant travel to relocating every few years, to support her ambitions.
She explained that her father is Jamaican and her mother is of Chilean and Peruvian heritage, backgrounds rich in football culture.
Both of her grandfathers played the game—one in South America—and she believes that flair is part of her roots.
She also embraced the food, music, and traditions of her upbringing, saying Toronto’s diversity made for a vibrant childhood.
Later, after facing bullying, Smith turned to other sports as a way to cope—choices that unexpectedly boosted her football development.
She shared that she took up taekwondo as a child as a form of self-defense.
She also practiced gymnastics, which sharpened her agility and flexibility—key factors in staying injury-free given her stature.
Taekwondo, she noted, strengthened her discipline and even contributed to the speed and power of her shooting.
What began as a way to stay active, have fun, and avoid trouble ultimately fed into her footballing success.
Smith believes that this unconventional sporting base also helped her manage attention, pressure, and the impact of bullying.
She added that the habits it instilled support her discipline on and off the pitch, especially in the everyday details that matter most.
Gymnastics, with its demanding holds and drills, also built her mental resilience and maturity.