Terry Felix
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Terry Felix
Sports (2022)
Sts’ailes First Nation, BC
“Be respectful of people that you meet, whatever color or race, or where they’re from or even their social status, rich or poor. That’s what I teach my children and grandchildren. Just be respectful because we all got our struggle. We all get up every day and go to work and pay our bills. And a lot of people have a hard time. Be good to everybody you meet.”
On or off the pitch, Terry Felix is an inspiration to Indigenous athletes and Indigenous youth. He was the first Indigenous athlete in North America to play professional soccer (Vancouver Whitecaps), and is also the only Indigenous person to play for the Canadian Olympic Team and the Canadian National Team. He was starting for all three teams when he was 23. Sadly, Terry suffered a career-ending injury at age 24 while training with the Canadian Olympic Team.
After his professional career ended, he became involved in First Nations soccer and crafted an inspirational 38-year legacy of coaching, teaching and mentorship. He served on the Sts’ailes Council for 14 years and has been counseling federal inmates for the past 14 years. In 2018, he was inducted into the BC Hall of Fame Indigenous Sports Gallery, and in 2020, he was inducted into the BC Soccer Hall of Fame. In everything he does, Terry Felix is an exceptional role model who always puts the interests of his community first.
