Jamie Thibeault: Letting her own light shine

By Laura Robinson

TORONTO – Canadian National volleyball team player Jamie Thibeault and her teammates won’t leave the Toronto Pan Am Games with a medal. After a disappointing game against the Dominican Republic when they were beaten 3-0, they rebounded against Cuba with a 3-1 win. Unfortunately they couldn’t pull off another one against Argentina and lost 3-1. But Thibeault, who grew up first in Grand Prairie and then Sylvan Lake in Alberta despite her Coast Salish west coast roots, says she’s able to put disappointment in perspective. Her boyfriend, Dallas Soonias, who is on the men’s team but out of commission for the Games because of an injury, came to Toronto to support her, and already had a great Plan B if the women’s team wasn’t in the medal rounds. Soonias’ mother is a Keeshig from Chippewa of Nawash, though he too grew up in Alberta. They’ll go visit family—Bev and Rodney Keeshig.

“It’s tough” says Thibeault, “I’d really like to be here for the closing ceremonies but I’ve never met Dallas’ mother’s side and who knows when we’ll next get the opportunity?” Both Thibeault and Soonias are committed to connecting with First Nations communities at every opportunity. They want to do all they can to get young people into sport and on the red road. They’re also both professional volleyball players who play for teams in Europe when they are not competing on the national team but when they retire from their busy professional lives, they have plans. There is a very big place in their hearts for kids who are searching for what it means to be First Nation and young.

Thibeault is still very much searching herself. Her mother eventually wasn’t able to stay with the family and her father is French and First Nations but neither parent knew their own family’s history. “I want to go sit with my grandmother and find out everything I can” says Thibeault. Unfortunately when she grew up, Thibeault was were living in a town that was more conducive to trying drugs than trying sports. She could see the writing on the wall.

“It was during grade 7 and going into grade 8 when I started to head into a bad direction” says the 6’2” Canadian team middle-blocker with an unabating smile. “The vice-principal at my school grabbed me and shoved me in the gym. He got me playing volleyball and I was really liking it.” Thibeault smiles at the memories. “Actually that vice-principal saved my life and I really do mean he saved my life” she says, suddenly serious.

“My brother was getting into serious trouble and I didn’t want to go that way. I realized I needed to leave Sylvan Lake and told my parents I needed to go into Red Deer to school. Luckily Lindsay Thurber Secondary School in Red Deer was a top volleyball school. But I didn’t know anyone—I had no friends but I got into the gym and played every sport—soccer, track and field, basketball and volleyball. I was always in the gym so I couldn’t get into trouble. In my off-time I joined a club volleyball team and a club basketball team. Before I knew it, I made Team Alberta for volleyball.”

In high-school Thibeault had no idea that it was possible to go to college or university. No one “pushed” her she says but she received a full sport scholarship letter in the mail one day from  the University of Montana and ended up playing in NCAA competitions while she completed an education degree. Today she is certified to teach kindergarten to grade eight. “I had no idea volleyball could open a door—for college and for life. If you had asked me if I wanted to go to college I would have said, ‘Why would I go to college? I’ll just get some job after high-school.’ You know for that vice-principal getting me into the gym may have been small but for me it was huge.” That incredible smile returns.

“It was pretty cool, I remember being so excited to on the national team. Then we went to the World qualifiers and, it’s just so cool.” The Canadian team did not qualify for the 2015 World Championships and Thibeault says they have the talent and strength to make it to the Olympics, but they don’t always have the guts. “Physically we’re there, but we have a mental block in terms of beating certain teams. I call it the Canadian attitude. The Dominicans and the Cubans—they yell, they have grit. That’s where you get your confidence from.”

For now she’s happy to take a few days off from a long season and meet “the relatives.”

“Dallas is amazing. He does a lot of talks with kids and really gets them going. We’ve known each other for a very long time and he really moves people when he speaks. I want to do that too with kids. I want to do for others what my vice-principal did for me. I just want to see young people sticking with something—find something that they’re passionate about. It doesn’t have to be sport—once you’re passionate about something the doors open.”