TORONTO, ON (October 03, 2019) -  Every month the Ontario Volleyball Association will highlight one of its many inspiring, hard-working and outstanding members. For the first installation (September), the OVA is proud to feature Trinity Shadd-Ceres of the Kitchener-Waterloo Predators.

In addition to being a great athlete on the court, Trinity also excels on the track with the Maximus Performance club. Over the summer she won a gold medal at the Canadian Youth Nationals track and field meet in the long jump competition, setting a distance of 5.62 metres to secure the victory. At the same meet, she tied for third in the high jump.

Name: Trinity Shadd-Ceres
Club: KW Predators (14U Strive)
Coaches: Yeng Moua, Paul Pavan and David Morton

Who are your heroes?
My heroes are my mom, Crystal Shadd and my uncles, Shaun Shadd and Kenen Shadd. They all influence me to do my best and be the best person I can be. They were all good at sports such as volleyball, track and field, basketball and football and had success in sports. My mom and my uncle Kenen also competed for Team Canada several times for track and field and both held and still hold several records, they also got their education along with their scholarship using sports. I hope to follow in their footsteps and make a name for myself. I also look up to my coach Dave Tomlin, who has also competed for Canada several times. Dave and my uncle Kenen own Maximus Performance Multi-Sports Training and my mom coaches there as well. So, I am surrounded by successful past athletes who all know what it takes to be the best I could possibly be.

What do you want to do/be when you're older?
I want to get a multi-sport scholarship to help me get an education. After I graduate I want to be a professional athlete until I figure out a different career.

What is your greatest accomplishment in sports so far?
My greatest accomplishment in sports would have been this year, August 11th - 12th, 2019. I could say that I’ve had a very successful season for track and field. In track, I won the long jump with a jump of 5.62m and finished in a three-way tie for 3rd place in the high jump at Youth Nationals in Nova Scotia for ages 16 and under. I now hold provincial records in both the long jump and high jump for the age of 12. I am looking forward to seeing what this volleyball season brings for our team.  We have amazing coaching staff and I am looking forward to improving all my area of my game.

What do you enjoy most about volleyball?
The thing I enjoy most about volleyball is the sport itself. It’s a chance of working with a new group of people every season. Having the opportunity of interacting and connecting with teammates, coaches and opponents. We all become good at different positions and everyone takes a different part of the team.

What's more challenging: volleyball or track and field?
Track and field is definitely more challenging for me. It is an individual sport so all of the pressure is on you and only you.

How do you balance the two sports?
Volleyball season is from September to April and during volleyball season I attend some indoor track practices with Maximus Performance which is a multi-sport training program to work on my speed, agility and vertical.  After volleyball season is done, I focus on track and get more event-specific in the 200m, long jump and high jump. The advantage of doing two sports is that they both help prepare for the other sport and overall helps my athleticism.  

If you want to feature an athlete, coach or staff for next month, drop their name in the comments below or please email dbrennand@ontariovolleyball.org by October 21, 2019.