As 'Vikings' Season 3 Premieres On Feb. 19, Katheryn Winnick Discusses How She Knew She's Meant To Become A Shield Maiden

"Vikings" season 3 premiere is on Feb. 19. That means at least one more week before fans get to see the intense actions between Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) and the kings of Europe, the uncanny strength of the courageous and beautiful shield maiden Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick) and the creepy things that Floki (Gustaf Skarsgård) has up on his sleeves.

As the "Vikings" season 3 premiere approaches, Canadian Katheryn Winnick talks about her character in an interview with the News Tribune. There, she said that from the moment she read the script for the History Channel series, she knew that she had to go for it.

"When I read the script and found out that Michael Hirst is involved in writing every single episode and I would be a shield maiden and a warrior and a young mother and dealing with the struggles of being a woman in that time period, I just knew I had to do it," Winnick explained.

Winnick's portrayal of the warrior Lagertha and what it means to the society has received warm reception. Winnick reportedly makes sure that she won't be left behind when it comes to the battle scenes. According to the actress herself, she convincingly performs the fight scenes because of her background in martial arts.

"I have a really strong back kick," she said.

"It was my signature move when I would get into the ring and compete nationally. I would get into the room with these guys, and I remember my instructor told me long ago your very first move out of the gate should be your strongest. They're intimidating, and they think I'm a girl. I remember throwing them a strong, back-piercing kick it's called, right in the gut. And that kind of shocked them."

When "Vikings" season 3 premiere episode airs, expect more action from Lagertha as seen in the trailer below:

"Vikings" might not be the only world where Katheryn Winnick can show her bad-ass moves. In November last year, the 37-year old actress made headlines in many comic book news sites after posting a photoshopped image on Instagram featuring her in a Captain Marvel costume. Some fans are rooting for her to portray the Marvel comics character.