Soccer player Tristan Thomas (L) and swimmer Jakob Brager (R) are Nanaimo area athletes recently honoured with Premier's Awards for Indigenous Youth Excellence in Sports. (ISPARC)

By Dan Marshall

Excellence in Sport

Local athletes among Indigenous Youth Excellence award winners

May 22, 2021 | 10:19 AM

NANAIMO — Six Vancouver Island athletes were honoured recently with the regional Premier’s Award for Indigenous Youth Excellence in Sport.

15-year-old Tristan Thomas of the Snuneymuxw First Nation and 18-year-old Jakob Brager of the Mid-Island Metis Nation are local youth who have excelled in soccer and swimming respectively

Thomas is a centre midfielder who played and coached with Nanaimo United and the regional Indigenous team and winning the award for Indigenous Youth Excellence in Sport was not something on her radar.

“I was surprised to win the award,” Thomas admitted. “I found out one of my coaches nominated me. I play soccer because it’s fun but it’s still nice to be recognized.”

She’s played on multiple local rep teams and been part of a second place squad at BC provincials.

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Thomas had the chance to compete at an international tournament in Las Vegas and hopes she will have more of those experiences.

“At that tournament my team was invited to go to a college ID camp at Stanford. When COVID is over I hope to take advantage of that opportunity. I also want to continue playing soccer in college or university.”

Brager is a member of the Nanaimo Riptides swim team. He has been nominated in the past but 2021 marked the first time he’s won.

“I’m really proud. It was really good being recognized by the premier and all the other nations.”

The Grade 12 Wellington Secondary student said one of his career highlights was competing at the Ontario Junior International event in 2019.

He was also recognized with a Nanaimo Sport Achievement Award in May as one of three members of the Riptides to qualify for Olympic trials.

Brager has solidified his plans for the fall. He’ll be staying on Vancouver Island to continue his swimming and his schooling.

“I’ll be swimming varsity at UVIC next year and I’ll also be studying engineering. The dream would be the Olympics.”

As Vancouver Island regional award winners Thomas and Brager will automatically become nominees for the provincial Premier’s Awards which will be announced later in the spring.

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