Shalaya Valenzuela (Tseshaht First Nation) is a Team Canada Olympic Silver Medalist

By Dan Ninham, contributing writer

Shalaya Valenzuela is from the Tseshaht First Nation and the Nuu Chah Nuulth tribe. She currently lives on Vancouver Island, Canada.

Valenzuela’s major athletic accomplishments included winning the silver medal at the 2023 PanAm Games and a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Indigenous core values dictate how indigenous athletes practice and compete. Shalaya said, “Core values such as integrity holds myself to training at the highest level no matter who is watching or around. It’s doing ever rep with intention, whether it’s on the field or in the gym. You have to have integrity when you train, so you can compete when your head is in a dark place and you have to keep pushing your body.”

“Everything is a core principle of the Nuu-chah-nulth tribe. I like to have this mindset training and competing with my teammates and ultimately it has led to our success. We have to work as a collective and be so connected in rugby,” added Valenzuela.

“One person goes quiet and it’s a try for the other team,” said Valenzuela. “You need to be connected and communicating the whole time. This builds trust and you need trust on the field. If you miss a tackle your teammate will be right there to make up for it. It’s all a part of our system but you need to work as one collective group or it won’t work.”

Practicing and competing on the world’s stage can take its toll on the body and mind. “I have some much-needed time off to vacation in Europe. I am attending the University of British Columbia in September and also continuing representing Canada on the World Stage this next season!”

Indigenous athletes are followed by others more than they know. Valenzuela has words of wisdom for her followers. She said, “My words of advice to Indigenous youth are to always dream big … no dream is ever too big to achieve. Embrace who you are, be authentically you, it doesn’t matter where you come from. If you are passionate about something work, hard for it and you will achieve it. Don’t let anybody tell you different.”

The followers of Shalaya Valenzuela are looking forward to her rugby journey.