10/09/2024

Athletic Performance Training Grant Awarded to Two Local Students

Erion Insurance is proud to continue supporting local student-athletes by awarding the Erion Athletic Training Grant to two deserving recipients, Angel and Inioluwa, for their outstanding dedication to their sports and academic goals. This grant provides them with specialized training at the Iron Performance Centre, helping them build their skills and performance in football and volleyball, respectively.

Angel, a senior at Saint Michael’s High School, was born in Colombia and moved to Canada in 2013. While he grew up playing soccer, Angel discovered his passion for football during his junior year of high school and now competes at a high level with the Niagara Spears U18 and Niagara Nitro 7s teams. His goal is to play football at the university level in the OUA, with dreams of going pro in the CFL or XFL. The training grant will allow Angel to enhance his skills and pursue his ambitions in football, as well as his academic and personal goals.

Inioluwa, entering Grade 10 at Saint Paul High School, moved to the Niagara region from Texas in 2022. She fell in love with volleyball after attending a summer camp at school and is now working tirelessly to improve her athletic performance. With aspirations to play at the collegiate level, either in Canada or the United States, Inioluwa is committed to training hard and excelling in both her athletic and academic pursuits, aiming to major in biology or biochemistry. The Erion Athletic Training Grant will provide her with the opportunity to continue developing her skills and fitness.

A message from Angel:

Dear Erion Insurance,

First of all, I would just like to thank you for this training grant. Words can’t describe how grateful I am. I would like to introduce myself, my name is Angel Diaz. I am a senior at Saint Michael’s High School and I play football. I was born and raised in Colombia but I have been living in Canada since 2013.

Sports have always been a part of my life growing up. I played soccer since that’s a big thing in Colombia but ever since I've moved to Canada there've been so many opportunities to try different sports. I’ve played soccer, hockey, basketball, and have done karate, boxing, and swimming also. In grade eleven though, I decided to try and play football for my high school team and ever since I fell in love with the sport and never looked back. I currently play for the Niagara Spears U18 team and Niagara Nitro 7s. I also just finished playing with the Team Ontario U18 Men’s team which was a nice opportunity to get looked at by schools and play against the best teenagers my age in the country.

I aspire to play football at the next level and get my university degree while also doing real estate as a side hustle. I want to be the first person in my family to play football at the university or college level since, coming from Colombia, no one plays American football. I haven’t decided what program to go into since it’s a big decision, so I’ve decided to do 12B for a semester to pick up more classes, play another season of football, and ultimately make my decision of what program and school I want to get into.

I am currently interested in playing in the OUA (Ontario Universities Association) since I am getting looks from universities like McMaster, Windsor, Waterloo, and Queens. I have also gained interest from two teams in the CJFL (Canadian Junior Football League): the Okanagan Suns from British Columbia and the London Beefeaters. My dream is to play in the States since football is big over there. My end goal is to go pro either in the CFL or the XFL one day and make a name for myself and make my family proud.

Receiving this grant means a lot to me since I used to train at Brock University's performance center but had to stop since it was too expensive. I always wanted to train at Iron Performance since my teammates always talk about how good their trainers are and the performance center itself. I’ve talked to Myles a couple of times about training there but I never got to because of how expensive it is. I saw on Instagram that Iron Performance posted about a training grant so I thought to myself there’s no way I get selected but I have nothing to lose, so why not. When I found out I got selected, I looked at my phone in disbelief and ran straight to my parents to show them. I am going to make the most out of this opportunity since I know that this training will help me better myself, my game, and go to the next level.So once again, thank you Erion Insurance, words can't describe how grateful I am for this opportunity.

Sincerely,
Angel

A message from Inioluwa:

Good morning Scott, my name is Inioluwa and I am currently moving to Grade 10 after this summer, and I will be attending Saint Paul High School. I was born in Lagos, Nigeria, and moved to Texas when I was around 8 years old, then moved again in 2022 to the Niagara region, where I reside until anything happens. I am very grateful to have been selected by the Erion Insurance Athletic Training Grant and I am grateful to get the chance to work out and develop my athleticism over the summer.

I first got into volleyball through a summer camp/training at my school by a well-known coach who played for a long time through her adult and teen years. She most definitely played a crucial role in my development in my athletic career and mental performance relating to the game. I got into the game just because of my extreme love of it and a constant desire to get better and better while aspiring to be the best I can be.

My goals for the next few years are to train as possibly hard as I can, off-season and during club and school season. I hope to be the best I can be and for my hard work to lead to possibly playing at a good school in Canada or the United States. Hopefully, my hard work and passion for the game lead me to the best and most competitive division there is. Furthermore, my academic goals are to become a biology major or biochem major. Those majors could potentially lead to jobs like pharmacist, dentist, dental assistant, or NICU nurse.

I am very grateful to receive this grant as it helps me stay fit and reach heights in my athletic career I could never reach due to financial strain. I am always grateful to the communities and individuals that came together to make this possible for individuals like me.

Inioluwa