People in Sport

STORIES COLLECTED BY THE T COUNCIL

People in Sport tells the stories of members of the Lethbridge sport community who represent populations that have generally faced barriers to participation. It’s important for sport to embody equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) to ensure all participants feel welcome, included and have equal access to sport. We are proud to share the stories of their contributions to sport and recreation as either a participant, coach, builder, volunteer, or official.

We are grateful to share these stories in the Recreation & Culture Guide published each month by the City of Lethbridge.

This is a collection of the features we’ve published since 2022, originally as part of the Pathway to Participation for Indigenous Families initiative, and now as part of the Sport For All initiative.

PEOPLE IN SPORT

MoriahVan'tLand

Moriah Van't Land is a Special Olympics athlete that participates in both figure skating and rhythmic gymnastics. In 2023 Moriah competed at the Special Olympics Alberta Winter Games in the Level 1 Women’s Singles figure skating event, winning gold As a result, Moriah was selected for the Team Alberta 2024 Training Squad and selected to compete at the 2024 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games held recently in Calgary, where she earned another gold medal.

Moriah trains with the Lethbridge Skating Club in private and group lessons, and travels to Calgary to train with other Special Olympics athletes. Off the ice, she participates in the Lethbridge Special Olympics Rhythmic Gymnastics program

Despite facing challenges, Moriah has excelled in her sports, representing Lethbridge with pride at competitions Her dedication to her sport, coupled with her infectious enthusiasm and love for the sport, and her sense of humour, make her an inspiration to us all. Moriah reminds us that sports are for everyone.

In recognition of her accomplishments, Moriah was awarded the Special Olympics Athlete award for the Lethbridge Sport Council in 2019, and again in 2023.

Moriah is a hard working charismatic athlete that likes to perform and joke around. Having the opportunity to go to provincials and nationals has made her understand fully what a goal is and how hard work can achieve it. She is motivated and now she has set her next goal on making it to worlds in Italy.

https://lethbridgesportcouncil.ca/programs/sport-for-all

It’s important for sport to embody equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) to ensure all participants feel welcome, included and have equal access to sport The People in Sport stories feature individuals in sport representing populations that have generally faced barriers to participation.

OleaTaboulchanas,LethbridgeSkatingClubcoach,andTeamAlbertaSpecialOlympicscoach

PEOPLE IN SPORT

BraesonSchacher

Braeson Schacher is a 28 year old personal trainer, cross fitter and adaptive athlete He has been in adaptive sports for about 8 years now, following a bilateral below-knee amputation, and is still finding new avenues to explore.

He participates in many adaptive sports but is fortunate enough to compete in and represent Canada on the National Adaptive Waterski team. He recently competed in his first worlds this past September at Sacramento California. He has also entered and placed in the top 10 worldwide in the multi extremity division in the CrossFit open and will continue training hard and pushing himself.

This past year, Braeson was named the recipient of the 2023 WSWC (Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada) Male Adaptive Development Athlete of the Year.

The point is not necessarily to do cross fit or be a power lifter The point is to get moving and to enjoy movement and to find out what we are capable of physically So if you love it and you progressed at it, awesome, but if that wasn’t your avenue, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t some other type of activity you might enjoy.

https://lethbridgesportcouncil.ca/programs/sport-for-all

It’s important for sport to embody equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) to ensure all participants feel welcome, included and have equal access to sport The People in Sport stories feature individuals in sport representing populations that have generally faced barriers to participation.

BraesonSchacheratSportForAll:BreakingBarriersSession4

PeopleinSport

CARLEY JEWELL

Carley is a former university student-athlete. During her tenure with the MacEwan University Griffins (Edmonton, AB) women’s hockey team, she was part of three consecutive ACAC championships (2017/2018, 2018/2019, 2019/2020) In the 2017/2018 season, she was awarded the Alberta College Athletics Conference Player of the Year award and the MacEwan University Most Outstanding Player award. Additionally, she was a two-time Academic All-Canadian (2017/2018 and 2019/2020) and was named to the ACAC women’s hockey First and Second All-Star teams (2017/2018 and 2019/2020).

As a university hockey player, Carley experienced several sport-related concussions and their associated recovery protocols. From this experience, she took an interest in athletes’ psychosocial recovery from sport-related concussions. She is now a graduate student at the University of Lethbridge, where she is completing her Master’s of Science in Kinesiology Her thesis focuses on athletes’ perceptions of social support during the sport-related concussion Return to Sport (RTS) protocol.

She is still contributing to her sport to this day You can find her refereeing games from u15-u22 levels of hockey. She’s a level 3 ice hockey referee who has officiated as high as U17AAA boys and USport female hockey.

It’s important for sport to embody equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) to ensure all participants feel welcome, included and have equal access to sport

The People in Sport stories feature individuals in sport representing populations that have generally faced barriers to participation.

PeopleinSport

CHRISTOPHER CAMPBELL

Chris Campbell has been teaching boxing in Lethbridge for nearly a decade. A knee injury forced Chris to switch from more traditional martial arts to boxing Chris identifies as a neurodivergent person The term ‘neurodivergent’ describes someone who processes information differently Those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and similar conditions sometimes identify as neurodivergent. Chris believes his difference is a gift and has used his energy to serve his community the best way he knows how.

He studied boxing while traveling in Korea then returned to Lethbridge to pursue a Bachelor of Science in exercise science, minoring in philosophy In 2016, working closely with the University of Lethbridge and Parkinson’s Alberta, Chris began instructing a modified boxing class for people living with Parkinson’s disease. Through exercise and medication, the participants are able to slow the progression of the condition and regain their agency by preventing a reduction in mobility.

In 2022 Chris opened the Sik-Ooh-Kotoki Boxing club at the Sik-Ooh-Kotoki Friendship Society and ran a free multi-sport class for Indigenous youth In December 2022, Chris became the program manager at Sik- Ooh-Kotoki Friendship Society In his new role, he plans to provide a variety of sport programs to improve mental health and provide community outreach, art, and music to both the Indigenous and non-Indigenous members of the community.

It’s important for sport to embody equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) to ensure all participants feel welcome, included and have equal access to sport

The People in Sport stories feature individuals in sport representing populations that have generally faced barriers to participation.

PeopleinSport

JIMMY CHIEF MOON

Jimmy Chief Moon is a Blackfoot man who grew up around sports, following his father to the ice rink, to the baseball diamond, and watching his siblings on the gym floor His childhood was full of family journeys to towns and cities to compete in sports

Jimmy feels he was very fortunate in his youth to participate in sports events and travel with his father “There was always something positive for the children to partake in; hockey games, basketball, baseball, movies, etc At that time, it seemed that many children were benefitting from these same activities, ranging in age from young to old”, says Jimmy He believes that being a part of a team helped build his character and respect for others

Now, as an adult and father of 3, Jimmy can relive the infectious feelings and luxuries that come with being part of a team With his children carrying on the family sports tradition Lately, Jimmy has been gifted many opportunities to coach youth sports Coaching youth teams has broadened his view of what life skills can be taught through sports. Jimmy feels it is important to spend his time producing those same opportunities he was gifted with in his youth.

Through his newfound faith, Jimmy has been pursuing a better path forward for himself, ultimately increasing his ability to enrich the lives of youth in his community using sports, activities, and all God gave him. To this day, Jimmy actively participates and organizes youth events on & off his reserve; he runs a Facebook group to help keep his community active called ‘Kainai & Area Sports’; check it out to see what Jimmy’s community is up to next.

It’s important for sport to embody equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) to ensure all participants feel welcome, included and have equal access to sport

The People in Sport stories feature individuals in sport representing populations that have generally faced barriers to participation.

PeopleinSport

TYLER SWAG

My name is Tyler Swag, I was born in Lethbridge Alberta. I’m proudly indigenous, and with my dad being from the Piikani Nation, and my mom being from the Kainai Nation, I am proud to call both reserves my home.

I found fitness 2 years ago after realizing I needed a drastic lifestyle change from bad alcohol behaviours, which I am 2 years sober from The benefits I have found from incorporating fitness into my life were improved physical health, self-confidence, selfesteem, and most importantly, improved mental health. With the knowledge of what fitness can offer and the belief that it is something everyone can benefit from; I have acquired Personal Training and Nutrition certifications.

Since then, I have created a company called Good Movement With first-hand knowledge of what the bad paths in life can bring, combined with the new Personal Training and Nutrition certifications, I feel that I have a unique perspective which will enable me to assist others effectively. Through Good Movement, I aim to promote healthy activity through sport, fitness and nutrition Good Movement will be for anyone who needs that extra push to get active and live a healthier lifestyle.

It’s important for sport to embody equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) to ensure all participants feel welcome, included and have equal access to sport

The People in Sport stories feature individuals in sport representing populations that have generally faced barriers to participation.

PeopleinSport

ARSEN STEBLETSKYI

Hello, I am Arsen Stebletskyi. I am a Ukrainian who has moved with my family to Canada to start rebuilding our life.

I started working out when I was 7. I was inspired by my father, who does not know life without sports. After 5 years of wrestling in my hometown, I was invited to one of the strongest sections of wrestling in the western part of Ukraine. I was the youngest athlete training there. It was there that I acquired the skills of discipline and worked a lot on my wrestling abilities, and was very hard on myself

After a difficult situation in Ukraine, my family and I had to move to Canada I am very happy with it. My new coach, Shawn Daye-Finley, has already given me a lot of advice both on and off the mat, and after that I started to enjoy wrestling even more. Every day I improve myself and do not use the word lazy in my life. I am working full time for a landscaping company and coach wrestling when I am not training I see a future here through sport.

It’s important for sport to embody equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) to ensure all participants feel welcome, included and have equal access to sport

The People in Sport stories feature individuals in sport representing populations that have generally faced barriers to participation.

PeopleinSport

EMILY LAWSON

Emily Lawson is a 65-year-old visually impaired multiport athlete. She has competed for two years on the "DASA Fuelled" Dragon Boat team at the ATB Financial Rotary Dragon Boat Festival, and has recently joined Alberta Sports Recreation Association for the Blind (ASRAB)’s dragon boat team “The Blind Ambition.”

Emily is also a member of Lethbridge Association for the Blind (LAB) where she bowls every week. In addition, she partakes in ASRAB’s walking club every week to help gain mobility and orientation in Lethbridge.

Emily is currently fundraising for her guide dog through Aspen service dogs in Edmonton. If you'd like to support her, efforts, please contact shawn@lethbridgesportcouncil.ca to get connected with Emily.

Emily is the epitome of compassion, selflessness, and unwavering support She is truly everyone’s cheerleader and possesses an incredible passion for helping others, providing an unwavering belief in the power of sports to bring people together. Her enthusiasm and support reminds everyone that regardless of ability, age, and skill level, there is always a place for everyone in sports. Emily continues to strive to push herself to be her best every day She continues to challenge herself and try new sports with every opportunity that comes her way. Her mentality is next to none. It’s always “what’s next?” never “I can’t do that ”

It’s important for sport to embody equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) to ensure all participants feel welcome, included and have equal access to sport

The People in Sport stories feature individuals in sport representing populations that have generally faced barriers to participation.

PeopleinSport

JOY

Joy is an Indigenous Black Canadian writer, advocate, and athlete She is a proud member of the Kainai Blood Tribe and grew up in Lethbridge, Alberta. Joy has a Bachelor’s degree in History and First Nations Studies and a Master’s degree in Political Science specializing in Transitional Justice and Post-Conflict Reconstruction from Western University Joy is now pursuing her writing professionally as a journalist, recently having a featured opinion piece published in the Globe and Mail on Black and Indigenous solidarity in Canada. She is currently a student in the Master of Journalism program at Carleton University

Joy is a retired 100m hurdler in athletics, being a three-time Canadian National Championship finalist and having represented Team Canada internationally twice. As a member of Team Canada, she is a 2014 North American Central American and Caribbean (NACAC) U23 silver medalist and finished 5th at the 2019 FISU World Universiade. She is a previous member of the Board of Directors for AthletesCAN, and is sitting as a member of the AthletesCAN. Joy has achieved several accolades, both as a varsity athlete with the Western Mustangs Track and Field Team, and previously with the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds, and as a member of Team Canada. Most notably, she was the winner of the 2017 Tom Longboat Award

PeopleinSport

JESSY MCARTHUR

Jessy was born in Yorkton Saskatchewan and raised almost entirely in Lethbridge. His family is from White Bear First Nations, located in the southeast corner of Saskatchewan. Growing up he spent most of his time playing basically any sport you could keep score of or that he had a chance to win During his school years he was mostly occupied with volleyball/basketball and when the weather was nice enough Jessy would spend his days at the skatepark on a BMX, skateboard, or scooter; anything with wheels that could get going

PeopleinSport

POLLO HESS

Apollo Fox Hess (Mootooyaohkii) is a Blackfoot athlete from the Blood reserve just outside of Lethbridge. Growing up, Hess participated in a plethora of sports including track and field, hockey, and soccer. As Apollo got older, the sport of swimming is what he excelled in. His competitive fire and urge to succeed combined to create a force in the pool His steady progress has brought him quite a long way In 2016, he failed to even qualify for the national championships as a 14year-old. At only 18 years of age, Hess finished 4th at the 2020 Canadian Olympic Swimming Trials. Apollo was named the Canada West Rookie of The Year, as well as the Canada West Swimmer of the year in his first official season as a varsity athlete. His development and maturation in sport is in large part due to his long-time coach, Peter Schori Apollo grew up in Lethbridge but was raised as a proud Blackfoot person He has a very strong sense of heritage and culture. His Blackfoot name is Mootooyaohkii (Ocean). It was given to him by his late grandfather, Norbert Fox, who was also a star athlete in his youth. It’s safe to say the future is bright for the young athlete, as he’s proven time and time again that he’s ready for the big stage

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PeopleinSport CHARLTON

(Athlete – Basketball)An all-around athlete at Kainai High School on the Blood Reserve, asel Head shone on the gridiron for the riors football team But he was even better h a basketball, leading the Warriors to cess with his scoring, passing and defense starred with the Alberta Juvenile squad in He was an Alberta Colleges Athletic ference All-star each of his three seasons h the Kodiaks, including a first-team all-star in ast two seasons. He was named to the ege All-Canadian squad in 1997-98 while in being honoured as the Kodiaks’ MVP. m there, Weasel Head moved on to the next l, joining the Brandon University Bobcats He chosen as a second-team all-star in the at Plains Athletic Conference in 2001 and a first-team tournament all-star at the 2001 onals The same year, Weasel Head was rded the Tom Longboat Award for aboriginal rting excellence, and received the Doug ndle Student Athlete Award for 2000-01.After ning his general studies degree at Brandon, asel Head returned to Southern Alberta to ain his Education Degree from the University ethbridge Currently Charlton is the ociate principal at Kainai High School and athletic director He continues to serve as a model for youth and enjoys watching his Talon play high school basketball with holic Central High School.

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PeopleinSport

Inspired by his son Zane who quickly switched interest from hockey to lacrosse once introduced to it, Chad set out to make a difference in his community. “I took notice in the skill, stick handling, physical play and of

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PeopleinSport

JILLIAN WEIR

Jillian Weir is a Team Canada hammer thrower who resides in Lethbridge and trains at the University of Lethbridge. Jillian has maternal Indigenous lineage and is a member of the Mohawks Bay of the Quinte. She was the only known Indigenous athlete on Team Canada in her Olympic debut last year competing in Tokyo, Japan where she finished 19th overall

In July 2021 Weir spoke to The National Post about what it means to her to inspire Indigenous youth and she said, “If I can inspire any Indigenous youth, it’s hard to put into words what that would mean. Because I never saw Indigenous athletes in track and field competing at the Olympics when I was a kid. If I can be a model for anybody out there, that would be a big honour A lot of young Indigenous people might not even know what the hammer throw is and aren’t familiar with all the different sports and events at the Olympics. The exposure to more sports will get more kids involved and lead to opportunity.”

Jillian played many different sports growing up and started track and field in grade 6 when she competed in running, jumping, and throwing events before focusing on shot put and discus in high school then added the hammer throw in university Jillian is now training for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France where she will look to improve on her top 20 performance from her Olympic debut.

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PeopleinSport

LOLA DIGOUT-FORD

Lola Digout-Ford is an 18-year-old Indigenous rugby player and a member of the Lytton First Nation band (Lytton, B C )

She has played competitive rugby (7's and 15's) for the last three years, playing with the Westisle Composite High School team, Lethbridge Collegiate Institute's (LCI) senior varsity team, Lethbridge Rugby Club, and the Alberta Rugby Club's - South Team.

This past season, she was awarded the AllStar Award for her position as Scrumhalf, presented by the Southern Alberta High School Rugby League (SAHSRL) In addition to that honour, she also received the Most Valuable Player Award presented by the LCI SV Girls Rugby Team.

Lola desires to continue working hard and improve her rugby skills, such as attending the University of Lethbridge's Pronghorn's ID Camps and their High School Prep camp. Her goal is to play rugby at the university level.

Although rugby is her passion, Lola enjoys playing soccer, swimming and anything outdoors. She also volunteers with her local community, such as the Angel Tree Christmas campaign and the Children of St. Martha's School.

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PeopleinSport HUNTER STEWARDSON

Hunter Grace Stewardson is a proud Indigenous athlete from Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nation, which is located on Lake Nipigon, Ontario.

Hunter has been swimming since she was 7 years old, and she just finished her first year of varsity swimming at the University of Lethbridge where she was awarded MVP for the woman’s swim team. Before swimming, Hunter enjoyed gymnastics, dance, and horseback riding.

In 2017, Hunter competed in the North American Indigenous Games held in Toronto, where she placed top three in all 9 events she swam. The NAIG sees over 5,000 participants from 13 nations competing in 14 core sports.

After her success at NAIG she decided to take the sport more seriously and she continued training for the national championships Hunter has always had a passion for swimming; her dedication to the sport and competitive mindset is what made her the athlete she is today.

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PeopleinSport RAE MARIE FIRST CHARGER

Rae Marie First Charger is 10 years old She is half Blackfoot and enjoys staying busy by being in lots of sports Rae Marie started figure skating at the age of 3 and was introduced to skateboarding at a very young age A few years later she started snowboarding, boxing, and mixed martial arts Last year Rae Marie started embracing her culture and learned traditional fancy shawl dance

When she was 5 years old Rae Marie was awarded the Regional and Provincial CanSkate athlete of the year award and was recognized at the National awards banquet She was asked by local skateboard companies to design different skateboard decks with her artwork on them Two of the skateboard designs she created were Indigenous-inspired One of the local skate shops, Boarderline, has sold her decks Rae Marie wanted to support Indigenous groups that help others so proceeds from the sale of each skateboard she designed went to the Sage Clan.

In the community, she enjoys running in races like the police run or the moonlight run. She also likes dancing at local pow wows, Indigenous events and at school events. Rae has helped her dad teach little kids to skateboard. She has travelled to different communities to pow wow dance and skateboard. Most recently she was asked to go to Fort McMurray to dance and skateboard at a cultural festival. Rae Marie wants to continue to show everyone her Blackfoot culture and traditional dancing and help get young kids involved in skateboarding.

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PeopleinSport DENNIS CHIEF MOON

2022 Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame Inductee - Athlete

Dennis Chief Moon picked up boxing at the age of 13. As a young boxer with the Blood Reserve Boxing Club, Chief Moon won many regional and provincial Golden Glove awards. He climbed the amateur ranks to become one of Canada’s top boxers The highlight of his career was the 1971 Canadian National Boxing Championships, where he won the 57kg weight class. That earned Chief Moon a spot on the Canadian team for the 1971 Pan Am Games in Cali, Colombia

Throughout his career, Chief Moon continued his winning ways across Alberta and Montana, earning Alberta provincial championships, Montana State Golden Glove championships, Western Canada and Dominion titles, and a Canada Winter Games championship Chief Moon retired as a champion, having never lost his titles, and earned a certificate of achievement from then-Alberta Premier Peter Lougheed. Chief Moon continued to give back to his community, training young boxers, helping build the Blood Reserve’s reputation in boxing.

PeopleinSport TYSUN TALLMAN

Oki Niksaowaiiksi, nitaaniko Itopamsapstsima Nisto

Kainai. Hello my name is Tysun Tallman and my Blackfoot name is Offers Pipe Across the Water.

Tysun Tallman received his name from his uncle Mike Bruised Head PhD, who was part of an historic 1980 trip to England, where across the Atlantic Ocean he was the first to offer the pipe to the elders

Tysun started his sports career while in elementary school where he had a hard time relating and fitting in with others. He played sports initially to fit in with his peers and realized he still stood out, but on his terms! He began playing every competitive sport he could afford to continue defining himself through fitness and eventually coaching, where he could apply his knowledge in a way that could help others

Tysun finds magic in movement and challenging himself physically but also in learning more about how movement and exercise can save people. He developed a deep passion for training and competition where he chose to broaden his approach provincially on cultural and wellness programs and through his university experience: Public Health Policy, Health Sciences, Kinesiology and Physical Education

As Tysun continues to learn and share his passion for sport and community wellness he is honoured to help others on their wellness path.

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PeopleinSport

DDr. Willie Littlechild as he is now known, is a Cree Indian from the Ermineskin Tribe of the Maskwacis Cree Nation. The sports listed by his name were what he won more than seventy titles at the provincial, regional, national, and international championships. He also competed in rodeo (bull riding) and golf. Willie had a Master’s Degree in Physical Education and was the first Treaty Indian from Alberta to graduate from law school. Willie didn’t take part in athletics only as an athlete, he was a coach, volunteer and sports consultant. He also organized the first Native Summer Games for Alberta in 1971. Willie also is responsible for organizing the Native Golf Association and the Native Hockey Council He was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2020. Willie has also been inducted into seven other Sports Hall of Fames.

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