Young athlete breaks mold

Photo: Contributed

A West Kelowna youth who has made headlines for her prowess on the ball diamond is being awarded again.

Fifteen-year-old Renay Willier will receive the 2018 Premier's Award for Indigenous Youth Excellence in Sport.

She will be honoured at a banquet in Penticton this evening. 

Willier is a previous member of the 2017 provincial champion U14 fastpitch team, the only Canadian to take part in the Triple Crown World Series in San Diego, and is the only Canadian player in her age group with a full-time contract to play highest level of fast pitch in the United States.

A band member from Sucker Creek, Slave Lake, Alta., Renay has been raised by her father since the death of her mother when she was just six months old. They've lived on Westbank First Nation land since 2000.

Renay is also an honour roll on the principal's list for her marks in Grade 9.

Willier played for the Washington Thunder of Tacoma last season and also the Vancouver, Wash., Patriots.

She has been asked to play for the Patriots' U18A team, which competes mostly with college and university level teams. 

Several colleges and universities are following her, and the West Coast top teams have tried to sign her.

When at home, she practices on the WFN fields.