by By Dan Ninham (Oneida)
Trey Friesen is half Cree and a member of the Key First Nation in Saskatchewan. He was honored as the ‘2018 Manitoba Aboriginal Athlete of the Year’ in the multi-athlete category. Each year the Manitoba Aboriginal Sports and Recreation Council (MASRC) awards honors recognizing deserving aboriginal coaches and athletes in Manitoba.
“Being aboriginal in sports and school in a mostly White racial area has had its setbacks,” said Trey. “People judge you and they automatically think that I have lots of problems because I was adopted and aboriginal. It was hard making friends. My parents always encourage me to follow my aboriginal roots, attend powwows and make friends with other aboriginal kids.”
“I have just taken a break from sports before Christmas and am working fulltime to save up some money,” said Trey. “I was training five to six days a week since I was 13 in two elite level provincial teams: premier soccer and track and field. I went to the National Cup in 2015 for soccer and decided the next year to take a step back and focus on track where I had been on Team Manitoba every year since.”
“The most recent competition was the Western Canada Games. I was awarded the Male Aboriginal Athlete of the Year last year in Manitoba. I was also selected in 2017 to compete at the Simplot North American Track and Field High School Championships in Idaho. I competed but went with a healing injury and didn’t place very well,” added Trey.
In high school at Steinbach Regional, Trey won Male Athlete of the Year and the Barb Choepp Memorial Award in 10th grade.
Trey was the team captain and competed on the varsity boys’ soccer team from grade 9 to 12 and they won three provincial titles and one runner-up finish. He was awarded a member of the All Star Team for each championship game.
“Steve Rebizant at Steinbach Regional High School was my coach,” said Trey. “Steve is an awesome coach, he never let’s anyone give up and gives 100% of his time to each player making sure we were the best team we could be. I am a quiet person with not a lot of confidence because partly of my heritage and being labeled and Steve believed in me by making me captain and that was a huge confidence booster.”
Trey participated in the 2018 Canadian Legion National Track and Field Championships for the 400m hurdles and placed 5th in the country.
In 2016 he was part of the Midget Boys Team Manitoba relay distance medley team and broke a provincial record. Trey also competed at the Manitoba Summer Games and he was awarded two gold, one silver, and two bronze medals.
“I have received many gold, silver and bronze medals at various track meets over the past five years,” said Trey.
“Our Premier Bonivital soccer team won the Provincial title four years in a row from 2012 to 2015 and all indoor and outdoor championships,” said Trey. “We also won the West Des Moines Premier games championships and a championship in the Dakotas. Tony Mazza was my coach but I have not talked to him in a few years. He was the best soccer coach I have ever had. He worked our butts off and made each player accountable for their position. He taught us how to behave on and off the field with the most respect and sportsmanship in public and on the field. He is the best soccer coach in Manitoba if not one of the best in Canada for youth players.”
“I was adopted at birth and my parents are Danny and Joy Friesen,” said Trey. “I had a stroke when I was born most likely due to pre-exposure to drugs and alcohol and could not walk properly because of some paralysis and was a slow learner growing up. You would never know now. My mom and dad never let a disadvantage slow me down or hold me back. They put me in sports from two years old with swimming, then soccer at four years old. My parents drove me to every practice rain or shine and they never missed a game or practice.”
“My parents would drive me 45-minutes each way six days a week for practice and games because we lived in the country. I lived in the vehicle. My dad decided we needed to figure out a way to save fuel costs so we started collecting used vegetable oil and bought an older diesel truck and fueled our trips with the veggie oil. My dad bought me a diesel truck and now I run it on vegetable oil also. Saves us so much money.
My dad worked out of town so he couldn’t make all of them. They are the biggest influence for me because they never let me give up and always told me how important it was that I was a good role model for other aboriginal kids and if I could do it with how I was born, anyone could. I also have ADHD and struggled all through school. My mom tutored me through school to make sure I graduated. They are my biggest fans and role models,” added Trey.
“I applied for the U of M and was accepted and recruited for the track team but I decided that I want to do a trade, that’s more my thing,” said Trey. “I like auto bodywork and I want to take a break from school and figure things out.”
The COVID-19 pandemic made the world stand still a few weeks ago. Leagues, practices, contests, and international competitions were canceled or postponed. Athletes adjusted with restrictions and this is an opportune time to take a break like Trey Friesen.
“I’d like to compete at NAIG,” said Trey. “I qualified for the 100, 200 and 400 and also a relay. I wasn’t sure if I could compete this year due to work and we are moving to Alberta because of my dad’s job. With NAIG changing to next year, it’s more possible I can go. I would train on my own like I have been the past five months leaving my track club to have a break. I go to the gym five days and week and go for runs. During the pandemic I have been doing workouts at home and will start going for runs in the country. We live on an acreage.”
Trey Friesen is a highly successful young ambassador of a few national sports. His advice to aboriginal athletes comes from his experiences being at the bottom and climbing to the top. Trey had and continues to have positive support on his journey. He said: “I would tell other aboriginal athletes to not let what others say bring you down or change your mind about trying to be the best you can in sports,” said Trey. “Confidence for me has been a real struggle sometimes but I kept on going. Some days if I had a bad race or game I’d feel like quitting. It’s hard to keep going when you don’t feel like you’re good enough but my mom says it builds character and makes you stronger.”
The Manitoba Aboriginal Sports and Recreation Council (MASRC) website is located here: https://www.masrc.com
Photo Credit: Joy Friesen and Scott Radley
