From fighting fires to serving aces

KAMLOOPS – Sasha Haldane is a fighter.
 
Hailing from small-town Terrace, B.C. the third-year outside hitter has overcome the odds to play volleyball at the university level while also spending her Summers helping to protect B.C. communities from wildfires.
 
Falling in love with volleyball at a young age, Haldane grew up playing in Terrace before making the decision at just 15 years old to spend two semesters billeting in Campbell River to experience a higher level of the game in the hopes of one day making a university roster.
 
That trajectory came to a screeching halt in March of 2020 however, when the COVID-19 pandemic brought an end to Haldane’s volleyball season for both Grades 11 and 12.
 
“I was very lucky with Chad (Grimm, WolfPack head coach), I’m very thankful that he reached out to me and offered me a spot with the team,” said Haldane. “It was the best feeling ever because I was definitely at a standstill with whether I would be able to continue playing or not because I had no film to send out to coaches. I just remember sitting in the kitchen with my mom when I head from Chad and being so excited.”
 
It isn’t just on the court that Haldane has shown her resiliency time and time again however, as she spends her Summers helping keep the province safe with the B.C. Wildfire Service.
 
“I got into it in Grade 12, we had a junior program, and I knew a bunch of people involved so I knew that I wanted to try it and then I just fell in love with it,” said Haldane on fighting fires. “At first it was a case of the job just came up, but now it’s more that I love it, I love my crew and I think the work we do is meaningful and has an impact.”
 
Now a three-year veteran with the BCWS, the close-knit culture of a fire crew is something that Haldane appreciates about her Summers.
 
“It’s exactly like being on a team, you’re with them all the time for four months,” said Haldane. “So you get really close with them out in the middle of nowhere. It’s just another family and that culture definitely makes the job way more fun.”
 
Planning on continuing with the BCWS after graduating from TRU, the unpredictable nature of fighting wildfires has allowed Haldane to thrive.
 
“What I like about it is being uncomfortable, you’re always in different situations and I love that nothing is predictable. The people really drag you in once you’ve been in there it’s really hard to just say good-bye.”
 
“It’s busy but fun. You have to have a mindset of resilience, if you’re tired you know that 20 other people are also tired so you’re all in it together which is exactly like a team environment.”
 
You can catch Haldane putting that resiliency on display this weekend when they welcome the UBCO Heat to the TCC for a pair of matches at 5:30 p.m. on Friday and 3:00 p.m. on Saturday.