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Shalaya Valenzuela’s athletic career already includes an Olympic medal for play on Team Canada’s women’s rugby sevens squad that captured a silver in competition at last year’s Paris Olympics. Now the 26-year-old member of Tseshaht First Nation on Vancouver Island in British Columbia has added an impressive individual accolade to her list of accomplishments. Valenzuela was chosen as the female recipient of this year’s national Tom Longboat Award. Swimmer Apollo Hess, a member of Kainai Nation in Alberta, was picked as the male recipient. The Tom Longboat Awards, named in honour of the legendary long-distance runner from Six Nations of the Grand River in Ontario, are annually presented by the Aboriginal Sport Circle (ASC) to the country’s top Indigenous athletes. Valenzuela and Hess received their awards at the ASC gala ceremony held Oct. 25 in Ottawa. “It’s right up there,” Valenzuela said of where she values her Tom Longboat Award. “It’s one of the biggest national awards you can get for Indigenous sports. So, I would put it right up there next to the Olympics. I’m really proud to be able to represent my culture on the world stage and being a role model for Indigenous athletes. So, I think it’s just as meaningful but in a different way.” Shortly after her Olympic success, Valenzuela joined the University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds women’s rugby squad. She helped the team win the gold medal at the Canadian university championship last November. Valenzuela also participated in 23 other international World Rugby Sevens games during the 2024-25 season. “I definitely think I put in a lot of hard work this year,” Valenzuela said. “So, the award just reflects this past year and all the achievements I’ve had.” Valenzuela, however, has not been able to play any rugby lately. That’s because she underwent surgery this past July to repair a torn ACL in her right knee. She suffered the injury while playing for the Minnesota-based TC Gemini during the inaugural season of Women’s Elite Rugby, the first pro women’s rugby league in the United States. “Recovery is going really great,” Valenzuela said. “I’m three months post-op. I’m almost running on land. So, these next couple of months will be really important and meaningful just because I’ll be able to step back onto the field and hopefully be running really quick here.” Valenzuela is hoping to commence playing for the national women’s rugby sevens program in the new year. “I expect to play again, I would say, end of April or May,” she said. “Typically, nine months is the minimum. I’m not going to rush anything. But if I’m feeling great and everything is going as planned, then hopefully I’ll be able to catch the last couple of World Series tournaments.” Valenzuela, however, is not sure at this point if she’ll also try to play again in the American pro circuit, which featured six squads during its first season. “It just depends on how I’m feeling,” she said. “Maybe I’ll be a little bit hesitant because that is where I injured my knee. But moving forward I guess I can’t really have that mindset.” Valenzuela said she’s not even sure if TC Gemini still hold her pro playing rights. “I’m not exactly sure how that works,” she said. “I did sign a contract. But I believe it’s just for each season. You have to get resigned for following years.” Valenzuela’s injury meant she was also sidelined for the Thunderbirds’ entire 2025 campaign. UBC is hosting the Canadian university women’s championship tournament this year. As hosts, the Thunderbirds received an automatic entry into the eight-team event, which begins Oct. 29 and continues until Nov. 2. “That was one of the most upsetting parts about being injured was that I knew I would be missing out on nationals at home,” she said. “And we just came off UBC’s first national title. I was ready to back that up with back-to-back national titles. I was a little bit upset but things are looking really good for us.” Instead of trying to help the Thunderbirds defend their Canadian crown, Valenzuela will have another important role to play at the national tourney. She will provide colour commentary, analyzing the action which will be broadcast on CBC Sports. Valenzuela also assisted on broadcasts of other Thunderbirds’ contests this year. “My injury has kind of helped me discover another passion, which is commentating,” she said. “And it’s really exciting to be able to support the team in a different way.” Valenzuela said she would be open to the idea of working on rugby broadcasts in the future as well. “I think it could be a nice side gig. I know a lot of athletes after they retire from sport still want to stay connected to their sport. So, I know there’s been a lot of players who have gone on to broadcasting as the next path,” she said. “I’m just keeping an open mind about it because I realize it is really fun and I’m passionate about it. I will definitely keep my options open if opportunities arise.”
