At his family home in Surrey, Travis Selje is everywhere, yet nowhere.
Reminders of a teenager taken too soon are visible immediately, upon entry at the front door.
Framed soccer and baseball jerseys line the wall up the stairs leading to Travis香蕉视频直播� bedroom, virtually untouched since that fateful evening two years ago Friday (May 3).
A blue hoodie of his also rests untouched on a newel post where he left it, at the top of the stairs outside his trophy-filled room. On an opposite wall, a framed collection of photos includes images of Travis in every grade through school, with a blank space for the Grade 12 year he never experienced.
Outside, there香蕉视频直播檚 a soccer net and artificial turf he never got to use.
香蕉视频直播淭hat was for him to train on, and that net, we assembled that the day before he died,香蕉视频直播� lamented his father, Miki.
香蕉视频直播淗e wanted it, so we ordered it, put it together on the Tuesday, and on Wednesday he was dead. And I can香蕉视频直播檛 take it down.香蕉视频直播�
| A framed collection shows photos of Travis Selje in every grade through school, with a blank space for the Grade 12 year he never experienced. (Photo: Tom Zillich) |
At around 9 p.m. on May 3, 2017, Travis Malcolm Selje 香蕉视频直播� pronounced SELL-yay 香蕉视频直播搘as on his way home from a soccer practice when a speeding Cadillac slammed into his Honda Prelude, which was stopped at a red light, heading east.
The 17-year-old, a high-level athlete and straight-A student, succumbed to his massive injuries at Royal Columbian Hospital two days later.
Last October, Surrey resident Rituraj Kaur Grewal, 24, was charged in connection with the crash, her next day in court to come next year.
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香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 no excuse,香蕉视频直播� Miki said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 like pulling a trigger of a gun, as far as I香蕉视频直播檓 concerned.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 why we don香蕉视频直播檛 call it an accident, we call it a crime,香蕉视频直播� added Travis香蕉视频直播� mother, Carola.
Near the site of the crash, on the southwest corner of 64th Avenue and 176th Street, a roadside memorial includes a white metal cross built by Miki, a machinist by trade.
香蕉视频直播淭hat was the hardest thing I ever did,香蕉视频直播� he said in a quavering voice while seated on his home香蕉视频直播檚 cozy backyard patio, which the family had built partly as a safe haven for Travis and his older sister, Sara, to socialize with friends.
On a sunny morning last week, the heartbroken Selje family 香蕉视频直播� Miki, Carola and their daughter Sara, along with Miki香蕉视频直播檚 brother Markus and family friend Angie Suomi 香蕉视频直播� gathered there to speak to a reporter for the first time since Travis香蕉视频直播� death, to talk about and also about a foundation launched in his name.
They also shared fond memories about Travis, the ultra-competitive athlete and neat-freak student who somehow found time to hold down a pair of part-time jobs 香蕉视频直播� at the Fast Track go-kart place in Langley and also at the Ace Hardware store on Cloverdale香蕉视频直播檚 main drag, not far from the home Travis had known since birth.
Carola remembers her son as a hard-working boy who excelled at soccer and pretty much everything else he set his mind to, including the game of baseball. One day, at the age of 12, Travis had to choose between the two sports when operators of the Vancouver Whitecaps香蕉视频直播� youth program came calling.
香蕉视频直播淗e decided with a heavy heart to focus on soccer,香蕉视频直播� Carola remembers. 香蕉视频直播淗e tried to play baseball for another year after that, but it didn香蕉视频直播檛 quite work, just not enough time.香蕉视频直播�
| Travis Selje in action with the Whitecaps youth soccer program. (submitted photo) |
For his Grade 10 year, Travis commuted daily to Burnaby Central Secondary for classes with the other young Whitecaps prospects.
香蕉视频直播淓very morning he left at 5:30 and didn香蕉视频直播檛 get home until 7, and he kept straight-As and never complained once,香蕉视频直播� Miki said.
香蕉视频直播淔or a 15-year-old kid, that香蕉视频直播檚 pretty good.香蕉视频直播�
Four years into it, with injuries mounting and change in the air, Travis left the Whitecaps program to return to Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary, much closer to home.
At age 16, he was also again positioned as centre-back defender with Surrey United, the club where he began playing the game as a five-year-old, in 2005.
香蕉视频直播淗e was just excelling, and loved it,香蕉视频直播� Carola recalled. 香蕉视频直播淪o this was in Grade 11, when universities had approached him already, about going to this place or that place, so he said he would make his decision after playing in the Canada Games that August, with Team BC.
香蕉视频直播淲e were talking about it, all three of us,香蕉视频直播� she said, gesturing toward her husband, her eyes dewy.
香蕉视频直播淗e never got to make the decision.香蕉视频直播�
Carola stopped talking, for a brief moment of silence in the conversation.
In the distance, a siren.
香蕉视频直播淒o you hear that?香蕉视频直播� she asked. 香蕉视频直播淵ou probably don香蕉视频直播檛 hear those sirens right now,香蕉视频直播� she continued, 香蕉视频直播渂ut you have no idea what we香蕉视频直播檙e going through. I hear them and I香蕉视频直播檓 right back there, on that day it happened. I hear them every day.香蕉视频直播�
Cigarette in hand, Miki nodded in agreement.
香蕉视频直播淚 even asked the police to stop using their sirens around here, because I just can香蕉视频直播檛 hear them,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚 know they can香蕉视频直播檛 do that, but it just drives me nuts.香蕉视频直播�
| Travis Selje with Rex, the family dog he got to enjoy for the final six months of his life. (submitted photo) |
Back to the subject of Travis and soccer, his parents say he did not see himself playing pro.
香蕉视频直播淗e didn香蕉视频直播檛 talk about it, no,香蕉视频直播� Miki related. 香蕉视频直播淎nd I think he was a better baseball player than a soccer player, but soccer was a better opportunity at the time, and for me it was a way for him to get into scholarships, an education, and he knew education came first, too. Soccer was a way for him to get that.香蕉视频直播�
Carola said Travis was working hard to graduate several months early, in January of 2018.
香蕉视频直播淲e didn香蕉视频直播檛 know which university he香蕉视频直播檇 go to,香蕉视频直播� she said, 香蕉视频直播渂ut we wanted to keep him in Canada, and maybe that was going to be back east somewhere.香蕉视频直播�
He wanted to be in business, or accounting.
香蕉视频直播淗e loved money,香蕉视频直播� Sara added with a smile. 香蕉视频直播淗e had options. He was really smart.香蕉视频直播�
With the help of Suomi and others, the local soccer community will come together on June 2 for the inaugural TS3 Inspires tournament, created as a fun-filled day for preteen players on 80 teams to celebrate Travis香蕉视频直播� life, in a six-on-six format.
Naturally, the games will be played at Cloverdale Athletic Park, the place where Travis spent his final hour conscious.
香蕉视频直播淪urrey United approached us that they wanted to do a tournament in Travis香蕉视频直播� name, and we never thought something like that would happen, and so fast,香蕉视频直播� Carola explained. 香蕉视频直播淪o they took it in their own hands, with people香蕉视频直播檚 help 香蕉视频直播� so many volunteers and great people, and the community just wants to help and contribute and honour Travis, and that is so touching.
香蕉视频直播淔rom the day this happened,香蕉视频直播� she added, 香蕉视频直播渨e香蕉视频直播檝e had overwhelming support from people, some we didn香蕉视频直播檛 even know, with flowers and cards, letters. We want to thank everyone.香蕉视频直播� We didn香蕉视频直播檛 even know how to get through a day, the next minute, nothing, without our friends.香蕉视频直播�
PHOTO: Framed photos of Travis Selje and other items fill the top of a dresser in his bedroom. (Photo: Tom Zillich)
includes several tributes to Travis written by former coaches and others who remember watching him play soccer, including Jeff Clarke, Surrey United香蕉视频直播檚 technical director.
香蕉视频直播淗e was a champion and true competitor and a kid that truly loved every second of his sports experiences,香蕉视频直播� Clarke wrote. 香蕉视频直播淪urrey United SC celebrated all of his successes in his teenage years with Whitecaps FC and were proud to see him return to SUSC at U17. In the short period that he returned to the club before his tragic passing, Travis inspired his 2000 (birth year) teammates and many of the young players that emulated him in the club. He also set a standard of being a great teammate and competitor that will influence SUSC teams and players positively for years to come.香蕉视频直播�
The website also includes video of Travis in action on the soccer pitch.
香蕉视频直播淎 player he had some good battles with, his dad always shot video of the games, of his son playing 香蕉视频直播� every single game,香蕉视频直播� Miki explained. 香蕉视频直播淭hey香蕉视频直播檙e from Coquitlam, and he put that together and gave it to me. He went though every video he had and picked out highlights of Travis playing.香蕉视频直播�
With Surrey United香蕉视频直播檚 BCSPL team in his final season, Travis wore #3, so the TS3 Inspires tournament name is combination of his initials and his jersey number.
Travis was born on March 5, 2000, and his jersey with the Whitecaps youth program was #35, a representation of his birth month and day. That Whitecaps jersey number, with the word 香蕉视频直播淪elje香蕉视频直播� above it, is tattooed on Miki香蕉视频直播檚 back, life-sized and in the same font.
Fighting tears while standing outside his son香蕉视频直播檚 bedroom, Miki pulled up his shirt to reveal the breathtaking artwork.
香蕉视频直播淥n jersey day or whatever, people ask where mine is. Well, it香蕉视频直播檚 always with me, right there on my back.香蕉视频直播�
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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