Coltyn Liu
VOLLEYBALL
SCHOOL: Vancouver Technical FRESHMAN’S FUTURE: UBC
Coltyn Liu’s greatest gift has always been the fact that his optimism rivals his grit.
And when you’ve travelled the kind of road he has, from the depths of a childhood accident doctors predicted would prevent him from ever leading a normal life, to that of a star athlete in a sport that demands split-second instincts, those two traits can come in awfully handy.
At the age of two, Liu suffered about a dozen assorted injuries, including brain damage, after he was struck down inside a shopping mall by a vendor pushing a metal crate.
Yet somehow, through the countless rounds of physical therapy and a relentless inner voice preaching self-belief, Liu was, this past December, honoured as The Province’s B.C. high school boys volleyball Player of the Year.
“You do things because you love to do them, not because others want you to,” says Liu. “That is how you discover your passion. For me, in volleyball, just like I have done in my physiotherapy, I put my head down and I just keep grinding.” The results? Off-the-charts can’t begin to describe the path he’s taken in growing from a 4-foot-11 neophyte in Grade 7 to a 6-foot-5 attacking outside hitter for the Van Tech Talismen over his senior season.
This fall, he’ll continue that personal growth at the University of B.C., when he suits up for the Thunderbirds as one of the leading lights in their star-studded recruiting class.
Yet, before he even dons the team’s blue-and-gold, he has the respect of the team’s head coach.
“I honestly can’t fathom what he has gone through to get to where he is today,” said Kerry MacDonald.
“I can’t begin to put myself in those shoes of his and face that.”
What MacDonald and so many others have seen as they’ve watched Liu grow into a multi-faceted star is a kid who leads with his heart, wearing his tenacity on one sleeve and his optimism on the other. The perfect example? When his doctors ruled him out with a badly sprained ankle heading into the recent national club championship, Liu brushedup on a new position and helped his team as a defence-only libero.
“He is remarkable in that he gets injured, but nothing ever fazes him,” MacDonald said.
“He has learned some amazing life-lessons.”
Like recognizing adversity as opportunity.