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13-year-old star hockey player, Aljon Gabriel Jimenea, who is known as Gab by his teammates, started playing hockey when he was five years old, and he keeps getting better, and better.
Looking back to when he got to Canada from the Philippines and found the game of hockey, Gab says he knew he found something special right away. "Seeing other people playing, and how challenging skating can be, that stood out."
The young star recalls not knowing anything about the game until he got to Killarney. "I only learned about hockey when we got to Canada," he says with a big smile.
Getting on skates for the first time is a moment he still remembers fondly. "It was very challenging to keep my balance, I kept on falling," he says with a chuckle.
It wasn't just being on the ice skating, Gab knew right away he wanted to be a part of a team. "All I wanted was to try out the game, and I just started loving it. I loved the pace of the game, it gets faster, and faster."
Developing his skills on the ice over the last few years has also been a lot of fun for the 13-year-old. "It's hard to go through high levels of hockey because of how fast the other players can skate, and I can sometimes panic while playing the game of hockey."
The good news is, Gab is not alone, he's got his friends there with him, most he's met through hockey. "It's kind of easy making friends during hockey, because you're a part of a team now, you get to know each other."
This past season, there are a few highlights for Gab, one in particular. "I scored a one-timer shot at the Tournament of Champions in Minnedosa."
As far as what kind of player he is, Gab believes he's at his best by making his teammates better around him. "I don't get goals as much, but I can give people assists, and help out our team."
Hockey is a big part of his life now, and Gab is planning to keep playing for a while. "I'm going to continue playing, I'm going to keep trying out for different teams, too."
Gab's biggest supporters are always cheering him on, his family. "How supportive my family is when I'm on the ice, it really motivates me."
Being one of the few Filipino hockey players in the area, Gab is proud of his heritage and even prouder to be a role model for future hockey players coming to Canada. "I'd be so proud if more started joining hockey," he says with an excited smile. "Not a lot of Filipino's know how to skate, and we didn't grow up with ice in the Philippines because of how hot the weather is. I'd love to see more play the game."
Aljon Gabriel Jimenea is an inspiration to many in the community, and he can't wait to get back onto the ice to play the game he loves.