Marie-Soleil Beaudoin was selected as one of 75 referees from around the world to officiate the 2019 Women's World Cup

Marie-Soleil Beaudoin is a professor of physiology and biophysics at Dalhousie University.

Earlier this month she returned from a six week trip to France, but it wasn't for an academic conference. Rather, Beaudoin was selected as one of 75 referees from around the world to officiate the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup.

"It's amazing. As a referee we have the best seat in the house to really witness the technical and tactical prowess that these athletes perform on the field," says Beaudoin, who even had the chance to referee a semi-finals game between France and Brazil.

Like many referees, Beaudoin says participating in the World Cup was a pipe dream.

"As a referee it's no different than an athlete. A World Cup is the top of the sport so that's where we aspire to be," she says.

The scientist and mother began refereeing locally over 20 years ago, and moved up in ranks over the years.

"You move up through the ranks of regional, provincial, via different fitness testing, laws of the game testing, as well as on-field performance," Beaudoin explains. "I got my national badge in 2013 and my FIFA badge in 2014, which allows me to referee international competitions."

The dream became tangible, though, in 2016, when Beaudoin was short-listed as a potential referee for the 2019 World Cup.

"My name was on that preliminary list, then it was very tangible that okay this is actually a goal that I can achieve," she tells NEWS 95.7's The Todd Veinotte Show.

During the three years leading up to the World Cup, Beaudoin and her two assistant referees -- both from Jamaica -- trained non-stop.

"We go through a lot of testing. Here's a tackle -- Is it a foul? Is it a yellow card? A red card?" she says. "But most important is what I do on the field. Every game that I do at this level is assessed by experienced assessors."

When Beaudoin was confirmed as an official for the World Cup in France, she was overjoyed.

"I got to referee some of the best athletes in the world," she explains, noting the excitement before a game begins. "We're walking out of the tunnel, we're lining up, there's the national anthem, and there's a full stadium. And that French national anthem, people are singing it at the top of their lungs."

But once the ball drops, Beaudoin says she's focused on making the right call.

"I'm just focused on the game. If there's 50 people or 50,000 people in the stands, once kickoff happens it doesn't matter, it's the same," she says.

The experiences Canadian referee says she loves refereeing because it's always a new challenge.

"It's never easy," she says. "There's always going to be something that you don't expect that happens on the field of play, and as a referee we have a split second to make the best possible decision, and I really enjoy that."

With her intense level of training and monitoring by FIFA, Beaudoin is just as agile as the athletes she officiates.

"I consider myself an elite athlete just like any of the players on the field," she says.

And Beaudoin is excited about the growing interest and skill level in the women's division of the sport.

"The last Women's World Cup was in 2015 here in Canada, and after that tournament people were saying oh that's the best women's football we've seen." she says. "And four years later, that level has just increased. It's fantastic."