Two Okotoks athletes are among 18 from across Canada currently taking part in a prestigious program.

Maryn Boldon and Kylee Glanville are currently in B.C. after being selected for Volleyball Canada's National Excellence Program (NEP).

It aims to prepare high school students with a foundation for professional play and future athletic programs including the National Senior Team Program.

NEP alumni often go on to play professionally and even compete at the Olympic level.

For Kylee, it's been refreshing to be surrounded by people who share her passion.

"We have a bunch of girls from Ontario, one from Quebec, a bunch from B.C. and Alberta. It's cool to be in an atmosphere where everybody wants to strive to play in the 2028 Olympics, but also we're having fun together and experiencing new things together and learning more."

Maryn and Kylee met around six years ago through volleyball when they played on the same club team, and they're both thrilled to be taking this step in their athletic journeys together.

They're both now entering their Grade 12 years and will be taking online classes until they return home after the program ends in December.

The magnitude of the experience took a while to sink in for Kylee.

"It's a weird feeling, and personally for me, throughout the summer, I was kind of putting it off. I was like, 'There's no way this is happening.' Even my best friends at HTA right now, it was weird, the last day I was like, "Oh, I'm not gonna see you guys in four months, it's kinda weird.' Then the next day on the plane I was like, 'Oh, we're actually leaving to go to Vancouver. That's so weird."

This will be Maryn's second year in the program, but she remembers feeling the same way the first time around.

"I was in Kylee's shoes as she is now. I didn't even really realize it until I got here, and I'm like, 'OK, what am I supposed to do now? I won't see my parents for four months. I'm moving in with some family.' That turned out to be super, super awesome. It's a really cool experience and kind of gets you ready for university life."

She also sees it as a window into what lies ahead for her and Kylee, both in an athletic sense and in terms of their adult lives.

"We're kind of getting a glimpse of independence and how to get into university, learning how to live with someone and clean up your messes and get to the oval on time. Taking public transit. It's a lot. And especially strength and conditioning as well, it's really getting us ready to take on that five years of university ahead of us."

 

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