My name is Molly Akerman and I write to you as a somewhat new member of Ultimate Spirit. I was welcomed on to the team in June of 2024 to begin my work term as Co-op student through UVIC. I have absolutely no experience in the sport of ultimate, but I came in with an open mind and a drive to play. 

My dream job for the summer was working with youth and working outside, and I had truly given up hope. This role seemed to fall in my lap, almost like fate. I have now traveled to communities I probably would not have thought to venture to, and was made to feel welcome by participants and community alike. I was plunked into the game of ultimate pretty quickly and felt very out of place. Here I was as someone who had never really picked up a frisbee unless I was throwing it for my dog. Well, that’s not entirely true, I did go and buy a $1 frisbee a day before my interview to brush up on my skills. So there I was, no knowledge of the game other than what I had read in the Ultimate Spirit resources that were gifted to me on my interview. My mess ups and mistakes were received with advice and knowing laughter by the youth I was playing alongside. I instantly felt welcomed by the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Secondary School and community surrounding it. The kids were more than happy to help me improve my skills by throwing the frisbee back and forth, some of them even trying to teach me to throw a hammer! 

I came to Ultimate Spirit in a transformative time of my life. I am going into my third year at the University of Victoria in the faculty of Indigenous Studies. I often struggle with my Indigeneity, wondering what space is mine to take up and how to exist in that space. But, watching the youth sing and dance and live so confidently in who they are was beyond inspiring for me. 

When I started this role, I didn’t realize how healing it was going to be. How the impact of the sport and the community surrounding it would hit me right away. I knew it would be special. I knew it would hold an impact that would last me through the rest of my life. I knew that I was walking into something unique, and that it was an honor to have a part in that. But most importantly, I realized that “Ultimate Spirit: More than Sport” held a lot more meaning than I anticipated it would. The sport was simply the delivery of the deeper goal of connection, friendship, and community. I felt all of that as soon as I stepped in, and I want to thank everyone that made me feel that way.