TIANNA LONGMAN

AGE: 16

RESERVE: GEORGE GORDON FIRST NATION

SPORT: ATHLETICS

Tianna Longman has been involved in athletics since she was 10-years-old. Her biggest inspirations are her family and the youth in her community. 

She said she was ecstatic when she got the call that she made it to represent Team Saskatchewan in the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG). 

"I was really happy and excited to be chosen. The thought of representing Team Saskatchewan was amazing to me. I was relieved because before I got the call I made the team, I was seeing different athlete's statuses on Facebook saying they made the team and I didn't get the call yet so I was kind of nervous."

But when she finally received the call, she imagined all the fun she'll be having. 

"I'm really looking forward to the experience and meeting new people and competing at a high level."

Tianna has been continuously training herself for NAIG to ensure she is ready when the games begin.

"I'm always physically active and involved in a variety of sports; I do a lot of my training at home and during the winter and I'm now currently doing training with other team members on my reserve."

Her plan after completing high school is to continue her education at a higher level. 

"I'd like to study kinesiology and one day become a coach for either volleyball or track to give back to my community and to help kids achieve their goals, too."

Her advice to the younger generations who want to pursue their passion for sports is to never lose trust in yourself.