Basketballer Laurissa Jimmy plans to make the most of her experience when she takes to the court with Team BC at the 2014 North American Indigenous Games in Regina.
Jimmy, 19, is a member of Ahousaht First Nation, but lives in Port Alberni.
"I started playing when I was 12, at first with local aboriginal teams. That's when we moved to town," she said.
Jimmy said she kept playing aboriginal basketball and later played at the school level.
"I played at ADSS in Grade 9, 10 and Grade 12," Jimmy said. "Two years ago, I played at the Junior All Natives with Island Storm."
Jimmy said basketball has been an important part of her teen years.
"I think it's kept me out of trouble; it motivates me," she said.
Right now, one year out of high school, her goal is to continue her education.
"I've been working at Dairy Queen. My plan is to go to North Island College," Jimmy said.
Jimmy credits her mother, Lynn, with providing the boost needed to pursue her athletic career.
"My mom has always been the one to help me out with fundraising, so I can go on trips for basketball. She's always been there, but she hasn't actually watched a game of mine, but she's always been there for me."
That support helped her through the NAIG selection process, and she understands the magnitude of the event.
"This is my first time on a big road trip and my first trip to Regina," she said.
The U-19 squad underwent five days of intensive training on the Lower Mainland before heading to Regina.
"I've been here since Monday in Richmond," she said in an interview on Friday. "We've been practicing here all week. We're feeling confident. We all just bonded right away."
In keeping with the scale of the event they were practicing for, the U-19 training venue was equally impressive.
"We're training at the Richmond Olympic Oval. It's a pretty big, nice place."
Jimmy said Team BC was warned to expect an aggressive style of basketball, from First Nations teams from all across North America.
"Normally, I play forward, but our coach, Duane Johnson, has been teaching us to play all positions," she said. "They said, 'They're the same height as us,' because we're a short team – not many tall players."
Jimmy said that, with her focus on basketball, she hadn't realized how many Nuu-chah-nulth athletes are participating at NAIG.
"I was surprised just how many people are taking part in all the different sports, just from Port Alberni."
