NAIG U16 Girls volleyball Emoni Bush (far right)
Stellar performances by four Wei Wai Kum First Nation athletes helped propel Team BC to the top of the 2017 North American Indigenous Games (NAIG), held in Toronto last week.
Jesse Shade, 18, competed in 11 swimming events, winning five medals: a gold in Male U19 200-metre backstroke, silver in the 4 x 50-metre freestyle relay, and bronze in 200-metre freestyle, 4 x 100-metre freestyle relay, and 4 x 50-metre medley relay.
Mark Anthony Roberts, 17, competed in three rifle shooting events, taking the gold medal in the Male U19 3P and the Male U19 Overall categories.
Tanisha Matilpi was a member of the gold-winning U19 Female Soccer team. Emoni Bush was a member of the U16 Female Volleyball team that took home the silver medal.
Team BC won the Overall Team Title with a total of 176 medals in 13 sports. Team B.C. was also the recipient of the John Fletcher Spirit Award that is presented to the contingent that demonstrates the spirit of teamwork, fair play, respect and integrity through the NAIG.
About 3,600 athletes from across Canada and the United States competed in this year’s NAIG. They represented 20 teams (provinces, territories or states).
The Indigenous Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation Council (I·SPARC) was created 10 years ago to oversee Team BC. Over the past decade, an inclusive regional structure has been established to support the delivery of community-based Indigenous sport development programs.
For more information about Team BC’s NAIG program visit http://isparc.ca/performance-sport/team-bc/
For information about the Toronto 2017 NAIG, visit http://naig2017.to