Sweetgrass First Nation’s Lyrik Albert presents her gold medal to Mia Joyea of Whitecap Dakota First Nation. (Submitted photo/Lance Albert)

By Martin Martinson

The spirit of sport

Sweetgrass archer shines with sportsmanship at Tony Cote Summer Games

Aug 2, 2022 | 6:11 PM

Some things in life are worth more than their weight in gold.

Sweetgrass First Nation’s Lyrik Albert had a weekend to remember at her first-ever Tony Cote First Nations Summer Games, winning the gold – but taking home the silver – in women’s U17 compound archery.

Initially scheduled to compete in the U15 girl’s category, due to a typo on the official competition lists, she instead found herself competing in the U17 age category.

Winning the gold nonetheless with a final score of 306 points, naturally, Albert’s first instinct was celebration. However, after giving her dad a big hug, her next words to her father were ones Lance Albert said couldn’t have made him more proud.

“She was excited, she gave me a big hug and then she said, ‘but it’s not right, it’s her category, not mine,’ pointing over to silver medal winner, Mia Joyea,” he said.

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“She didn’t want to take the gold medal away from the U17 contestant, and she felt it in her heart it was only right for Mia to win the gold medal for U17 women’s, so that was when Lyrik took the opportunity to present her with the gold medal.”

Giving away her gold medal and spot atop the podium to instead take the silver is something Lyrik said she was happy to do, knowing full well what the win would mean to Joyea, who is from the Whitecap Dakota First Nation, one of the locations the Summer Games were held this year.

“It was her home territory and she grew up over there,” Albert said. “It was also her first competition and I remember how happy I was when I took first at the JOP [Junior Olympic Program] at my first competition, so I just wanted her to feel that happiness.”

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1