Image Credit: Silvia Senna / CFJC Today

By Dylana Kneeshaw

COUNSELLING SUPPORT AVAILABLE

WolfPack athletic community grieving together after loss of student-athlete

Nov 30, 2023 | 5:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — The sports community in Kamloops and at Thompson Rivers University (TRU) is reeling after one person was killed, and two others were seriously injured in a major crash on McGill Road Wednesday afternoon (Nov. 29).

With all three victims being members of TRU’s WolfPack men’s volleyball team, the university’s president Brett Fairbairn said in a statement issued Thursday (Nov. 30), it is a “loss for the TRU community that will be felt for a long time.”

According to TRU Athletics Director Curtis Atkinson, it’s been an unimaginable 24 hours for all of the WolfPack teams, coaches and athletics staff.

“These are three really valuable members of our family and our team whose lives are deeply impacted and those around them,” he says. “It’s going to be a tough time and we’re wanting to show a lot of care and compassion and support for them. It will be critical right now.”

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In the immediate aftermath, Atkinson says the university has met with its sports teams, along with coaches and staff, to outline what supports are available.

“All of those meetings have had counselling support at them and academic supports through student case managers. And it’s really important that our student-athletes know that supports are here for them.” reiterates Atkinson. “Grieving can look very different, that period of mourning can look very different and there’s no right or wrong way to do it, but there is support here for them.”

Online counselling services for TRU students can be accessed at Keep.MEsafe, and the university also has on-campus supports in place through the Faculty of Student Development in Old Main 1631 or over the phone at 250-828-5023.

The WolfPack sports community is tight knit, with athletes often supporting one another at games and developing close friendships outside of competition and practice times. Atkinson say messages have also been pouring in from teams and athletics organizations across Canada.

“Been really impactful to hear from people within our conference, from the USports office, schools back east that feel the pain and feel the hurt with us,” said Atkinson.

Given the gravity of the situation, the university opted to postpone this weekend’s home and away games for all WolfPack teams.

“We didn’t think we could move forward this weekend with competition and really wanted to shift the focus to supporting everyone that’s a part of our family,” noted Atkinson.

In the meantime, Kamloops RCMP Cpl. Crystal Evelyn says police will continue their investigation into what caused the fatal incident.

“There were a lot of people who were talked to at the scene, including the driver of the truck, and police are continuing to collect information that will help answer some of those questions as we progress this active investigation that is a priority for the detachment,” Evelyn told CFJC Today.

Anyone with video or information related to the crash that has not yet been shared with police is asked to contact Kamloops RCMP at 250-828-3000.