Duane Louis

Last year, Duane Louis embarked on a journey that illustrates perfectly how physical activity can be a unifying force. As a participant in the annual Tribal Journeys Canoe Voyage in 2009, Louis, a member of the Okanagan First Nation, spent 10 days travelling by traditional craft from Victoria, B.C. to Suquamish, Wash., stopping to visit each First Nation community along the way. "Being on the water and paddling with other people you didn't know at the start allowed me to connect, on a deeper, spiritual level, with who I am," Louis says. "It's one way of using sport as a tool to bring people together." Louis, 25, is one of six Canadian interns chosen to go to Africa as part of Commonwealth Games Canada's groundbreaking Capacity Support Program (CSP). The CSP is co-funded by the Commonwealth Games Federation and Commonwealth Games Canada. It is designed to support Commonwealth Games Associations in developing countries and help them maximize their organizational performance as they prepare for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi this October and for future Games. The CSP interns will assist countries with sport administration activities ranging from programming, fundraising and communications to the implementation of the games management software program Zeus. Even as a young child, Louis was involved in sports and recreation. He remembers his father taking him and his two younger siblings into the backyard to try everything from rollerblading and skateboarding to baseball. He played competitive sports throughout elementary and high school, and was particularly enamored of hockey. "Financially, it was tough," Louis says, "But my parents made it happen." In 2009, Louis graduated with a Diploma in Sport Management from Camosun College. He credits his education for inspiring him to become an advocate for aboriginal sport and recreation. "There's a big gap in the system when it comes to aboriginal participation in sport and access to facilities, coaches and a support system to help them maximize their potential," Louis says. "There are also many health issues facing aboriginal communities such as cardiovascular disease." For the past two years, Louis has been involved with the Aboriginal Sport & Recreation Association, both as Athlete & Coach Services Coordinator and as a Project Assistant for Athlete & Coach Development. Among his responsibilities there was the planning, delivery, promotion and evaluation of program services for both athletes and coaches. He also worked with Aboriginal Team B.C. on logistics for the 2008 North American Indigenous Games in Cowichan. This experience makes Louis an ideal candidate to assist the Swaziland National Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association (SOCGA) with step-by-step games preparation and program development. "Commonwealth Games Canada's International Development through Sport unit is pleased to offer unique and professional international work opportunities for young graduates," says Carla Thachuk, Commonwealth Games Canada's Manager of International Programs. "Particularly in difficult economic times, these internships will help the participants apply their educational experiences to a challenging work environment as they set out to develop their own careers." Louis plans to continue his involvement with B.C.'s emerging Aboriginal Sport, Recreation and Physical Activity strategy in the future but for now he's focused on Africa. "I always learned about circles growing up, and I want to expand my circle by travelling and learning about different cultures. I'm very passionate about sport, and at this stage of my life I'm looking for opportunities to grow both personally and professionally. This is a great fit."