by By Dan Ninham
The silence of running in the pursuit of success as an endurance athlete: These could be the words on an empowerment poster. They are the words of a remarkable native girl multi-athlete in northwestern Wisconsin.
“My Indian name is Giisinaabikwe and means sparkling snow woman,” said Eliana. “I am 17 years old and going to be a senior in the fall at Hayward HS, Hayward, WI. My parent’s are Thom and Utina Malnourie.”
“I am enrolled at Three Affiliated Tribes, and I’m also Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe and Cochiti-Pueblo,” said Eliana.
Eliana is a three time Wisconsin State Qualifier for cross country and broke the school record 5k. She is a senior team captain. Eliana also was a State Track Meet qualifier in the 3200m relay and broke the school record.
She was top-20 in Nordic skiing in Wisconsin, and a consistent top finisher in Wisconsin NICA Mountain Bike races freshman year while also competing in cross country.
“As an athlete I strive to highlight the strength and endurance we as Native Americans have,” said Eliana. “I’ve recently reflected on the connection between myself and the surrounding lands in North Dakota. While out running, it seemed as though it was effortless and easy to run through the rolling prairie. I run for my family and ancestors. When I’m skiing through the woods of Wisconsin and the snow is glittering in the light, it’s a comforting feeling of pride because it’s a reflection of my ancestors and myself.”
“The most positive influencers in my life have definitely been my family,” said Eliana. “My dad and mom have always supported my goals and ambitions. My parents would describe me as goal-driven, ambitious, strategic, disciplined, independent, and thoughtful.”
“Eliana is very disciplined, dedicated to her teams during season and off-season training,” said dad Thom Malnourie. “She is passionate about athletics and living an active, healthy lifestyle. An asset she has developed over her career is analyzing better, effective training principals that allow her to perform at her best. When the competitive season arrives, she is very analytical and strategic, in her performances and times, as well as knowing the field of competition. In pre-race she has a razor sharp focus but at the same time very calm right before the gun goes off, she can also be seen leading her teammates in warm-ups and discussing race day strategies.”
“In her sports of cross-country, Nordic skiing and track and field, she has lead in a quiet but very fierce manner,” said Thom. “With her off-season training and dedication, she leads by doing and sets an example that has paid off in every season. Many times she has received compliments on her running and ski techniques as being ‘graceful’ and ‘having natural talent’ said by various coaches and spectators. Eliana takes the time to study and analyze techniques to better her performance and understanding of her sports.”
“Junior-year track was looking promising as she took the winter Nordic ski season off to train and prepare for the upcoming track season,” said Thom. “It was devastating when the school year came to grinding halt due to COVID-19, but this didn’t knock her down. She reached out to her coaches and family, found her focus to continue working towards her goals. She took time to evaluate and plan how to move forward for her senior year.”
“Eliana never gave up because she knew the fall season of cross-country was waiting and the team would need a leader to help motivate them during such difficult times. She wrote herself a training plan and stuck with it, taking the initiative to train hard, be positive and remain healthy to keep her body and mind in a good place. She reached out to her teammates and encouraged them to continue to train, summer arrived and she developed, organized with locations for the team to meet and run,” added Thom.
“My aunt Gladys Martin is always so positive and encourages me to chase after my goals,” said Eliana.
“Eliana was actively involved in sports since her freshman year of high school,” said Aunt Gladys Martin. “In ninth grade she participated in biking, cross country, skiing and track. In track she did the long jump, ran the mile and relays and was the anchor. In 10th grade she dropped biking and focused on the remaining three sports. During 11th and 12th grades she did cross country and track.”
“The process of elimination was one of her traits,” said Gladys. “She narrowed her involvement in sports as she matriculated through her high school years. In her latter two years of high school, when she ran, she felt free. She connected with her Native American heritage and rejuvenated her spirit and she rediscovered her true self.”
“Eliana has silent expectations of herself,” said Gladys. “She is self-motivated, she puts in the extra time to her physical regiment and she balances her responsibilities as a student athlete.”
“We all face negative comments or situations, and this holds true for Eliana,” said Gladys. “She has dealt with her share, but she learned to use these situations to motivate and challenge herself to do more. Her parents, Thom and Utina Malnourie, have been supportive throughout her life as licensed Cross Fit Trainers. Elaina’s exposure to physical activity is nothing new, the family own the Malnourie Gym Rage.”
“Elaina is a gentle and fierce competitor who is also a thoughtful decision maker,” said Gladys.
Photo Credit: Bruce Adelsman and Brett Morgan
Great article! Eliana is an impressive young lady. I’ve been following NDNSports for several weeks now and it’s nice to see some Wisconsin Native American athletes featured. I wish her the best in the coming cross-country season. I’ve been a runner and cross-country competitor for 50+ yrs and am still active at the Masters level. I also help coach younger skiers with the Iola Winter Sports Club.
Phil Mahoney