Last month, Colorado State University announced they were going to be creating the Walk of Champions, honouring some of the top athletic achievements by athletes at the school over the past 150 years. For the inaugural class, Weyburn’s own Tonya Miller was named as one of the inductees, after playing with the women’s volleyball team at the college from 2003 to 2007.
“I just feel so honoured because it’s a big chunk of your life that you spend there, and the people that have helped you accomplish your goals are a big part of that,” Miller told Discover Weyburn. “You just look back, and I’m just so thankful for all the coaches and teammates I had at that era of playing there at CSU.”
After her time at CSU, Miller went on to have an international career, which she credited to her time with the Rams in Fort Collins.
“I don’t think I would have had the career I had onward with Team Canada if I wouldn’t have made that decision to play at CSU and had coaches like Tom Hilbert, and Kerry Larson, and Andy Klassen, and your teammates, right? You can’t do it by yourself,” Miller added.
Miller noted the time she spent with the Rams, and playing volleyball at one of the highest levels in North America, helped develop the skills she uses in life now.
“You have to have good communication skills, work ethic, and I think even growing up on a farm kind of helped drive that,” Miller said. “You have to work through things, and be of a mindset of things are hard, and try to find a way out of it, and look for your teammates for support.”
The Rams will be inducting the class during their ‘Ram Good Time’ Alumni weekend on October 11th and 12th. Miller said she won’t be able to make it for the ceremony this year but looks forward to the chance to get down to Fort Collins, Colorado to see the Walk of Champions in the future.
