by By Dan Ninham (Oneida)
Trechelle (Tre) Bunn is a 5’11 defenseman hockey player from Wampum, Manitoba. “I play hockey for the University of Calgary Dinos,” said Trechelle. “Our record is currently 15-7-1.”
“During the 2018-2019 season, I was named a Junior Women’s Hockey League All-Star,” said Trechelle. “I was the Captain of the Boston Shamrocks Hockey Team during the 2018-2019 season and an Assistant Captain of the Boston Shamrocks Hockey Team during the 2017-2018 season.”
“I am Dakota Sioux and have lived my whole life in Wampum, Manitoba,” said Trechelle.
“A tribal core value that defines who I am as a student-athlete is honor. As a student-athlete, I have great honor for the sport of hockey and my university. I feel extremely grateful and honored that I have been given the opportunity to continue my education and hockey career at the University of Calgary.”
“My father Gabriel Bunn has greatly influenced me to be the athlete and person I am today,” said Trechelle. “From a young age, he taught me the importance of goal setting and the hard work that must be done in order to achieve your goals. He also taught me to never settle with giving anything short of your very best. Growing up, my father would wake my younger brother, Teane and I up every morning by saying, ‘Wake up, it’s time to be great’. This wake up from my father meant that no matter what your day consisted of you had to aim for greatness in all that you do. This is something that I live by and remind myself of everyday.”
“A coach that has positively influenced me as an athlete is Kristi Kehoe, and she was my head coach when I played for the Boston Shamrocks Hockey Academy in the Junior Women’s Hockey League for two years,” said Trechelle. “While being coached by Kehoe I did not have much confidence in myself as a player and a leader. However, Kehoe provided me with a support system that pushed me and allowed me to find a new level of play and confidence in myself. My two years of being coached by Kehoe developed me into the player that I am today and I am forever grateful for her support and all that she has done to get me to where I am today.”
“In addition, I would like to thank and give credit to my entire family for their continuous support, guidance, and love as I work towards my goals and dreams,” added Trechelle.
“I am currently a Law and Society major at the University of Calgary,” said Trechelle. “I aspire to attend law school in the future and have a career as a lawyer. I am very passionate about becoming an advocate for Indigenous people and work towards finding solutions to the issues facing our Indigenous population.”
Danielle Goyette, head women’s hockey coach at the University of Calgary addressed her player’s skill set: “She improved a lot since the beginning of the season and I would say the biggest adjustment she had to make is to play the game at a faster speed every shift. She’s a player that is calm on the ice, she has poise with the puck, and she see’s the ice well. She’s a fast learner, you tell her something once and she can make the adjustment right away. Trechelle is a shy person but her confidence is growing, her fitness is getting better, you can see her getting more comfortable week after week. Trechelle’s been a great addition to our team and I can’t wait to see how far she will push herself to become the player she can be. She has so much potential, we need to push her and guide to make sure she reach it!”
“My advice to other student-athletes is to live a life with passion and to truly love what you’re doing,” said Trechelle. “If you’re truly passionate about meeting the goals you have set, you can overcome any obstacle.”
Photo Credit: David Dieter Moll
