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含羞草研究社� 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含羞草研究社檚 a soccer net and artificial turf he never got to use.
含羞草研究社淭hat was for him to train on, and that net, we assembled that the day before he died,含羞草研究社� lamented his father, Miki.
含羞草研究社淗e wanted it, so we ordered it, put it together on the Tuesday, and on Wednesday he was dead. And I can含羞草研究社檛 take it down.含羞草研究社�
| 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 含羞草研究社� pronounced SELL-yay 含羞草研究社搘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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含羞草研究社淭here含羞草研究社檚 no excuse,含羞草研究社� Miki said. 含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 like pulling a trigger of a gun, as far as I含羞草研究社檓 concerned.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 why we don含羞草研究社檛 call it an accident, we call it a crime,含羞草研究社� added Travis含羞草研究社� 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.
含羞草研究社淭hat was the hardest thing I ever did,含羞草研究社� he said in a quavering voice while seated on his home含羞草研究社檚 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 含羞草研究社� Miki, Carola and their daughter Sara, along with Miki含羞草研究社檚 brother Markus and family friend Angie Suomi 含羞草研究社� gathered there to speak to a reporter for the first time since Travis含羞草研究社� 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 含羞草研究社� at the Fast Track go-kart place in Langley and also at the Ace Hardware store on Cloverdale含羞草研究社檚 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含羞草研究社� youth program came calling.
含羞草研究社淗e decided with a heavy heart to focus on soccer,含羞草研究社� Carola remembers. 含羞草研究社淗e tried to play baseball for another year after that, but it didn含羞草研究社檛 quite work, just not enough time.含羞草研究社�
| 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.
含羞草研究社淓very morning he left at 5:30 and didn含羞草研究社檛 get home until 7, and he kept straight-As and never complained once,含羞草研究社� Miki said.
含羞草研究社淔or a 15-year-old kid, that含羞草研究社檚 pretty good.含羞草研究社�
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.
含羞草研究社淗e was just excelling, and loved it,含羞草研究社� Carola recalled. 含羞草研究社淪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.
含羞草研究社淲e were talking about it, all three of us,含羞草研究社� she said, gesturing toward her husband, her eyes dewy.
含羞草研究社淗e never got to make the decision.含羞草研究社�
Carola stopped talking, for a brief moment of silence in the conversation.
In the distance, a siren.
含羞草研究社淒o you hear that?含羞草研究社� she asked. 含羞草研究社淵ou probably don含羞草研究社檛 hear those sirens right now,含羞草研究社� she continued, 含羞草研究社渂ut you have no idea what we含羞草研究社檙e going through. I hear them and I含羞草研究社檓 right back there, on that day it happened. I hear them every day.含羞草研究社�
Cigarette in hand, Miki nodded in agreement.
含羞草研究社淚 even asked the police to stop using their sirens around here, because I just can含羞草研究社檛 hear them,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淚 know they can含羞草研究社檛 do that, but it just drives me nuts.含羞草研究社�
| 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.
含羞草研究社淗e didn含羞草研究社檛 talk about it, no,含羞草研究社� Miki related. 含羞草研究社淎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.含羞草研究社�
Carola said Travis was working hard to graduate several months early, in January of 2018.
含羞草研究社淲e didn含羞草研究社檛 know which university he含羞草研究社檇 go to,含羞草研究社� she said, 含羞草研究社渂ut we wanted to keep him in Canada, and maybe that was going to be back east somewhere.含羞草研究社�
He wanted to be in business, or accounting.
含羞草研究社淗e loved money,含羞草研究社� Sara added with a smile. 含羞草研究社淗e had options. He was really smart.含羞草研究社�
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含羞草研究社� 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.
含羞草研究社淪urrey United approached us that they wanted to do a tournament in Travis含羞草研究社� name, and we never thought something like that would happen, and so fast,含羞草研究社� Carola explained. 含羞草研究社淪o they took it in their own hands, with people含羞草研究社檚 help 含羞草研究社� so many volunteers and great people, and the community just wants to help and contribute and honour Travis, and that is so touching.
含羞草研究社淔rom the day this happened,含羞草研究社� she added, 含羞草研究社渨e含羞草研究社檝e had overwhelming support from people, some we didn含羞草研究社檛 even know, with flowers and cards, letters. We want to thank everyone.含羞草研究社� We didn含羞草研究社檛 even know how to get through a day, the next minute, nothing, without our friends.含羞草研究社�
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含羞草研究社檚 technical director.
含羞草研究社淗e was a champion and true competitor and a kid that truly loved every second of his sports experiences,含羞草研究社� Clarke wrote. 含羞草研究社淪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.含羞草研究社�
The website also includes video of Travis in action on the soccer pitch.
含羞草研究社淎 player he had some good battles with, his dad always shot video of the games, of his son playing 含羞草研究社� every single game,含羞草研究社� Miki explained. 含羞草研究社淭hey含羞草研究社檙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.含羞草研究社�
With Surrey United含羞草研究社檚 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 含羞草研究社淪elje含羞草研究社� above it, is tattooed on Miki含羞草研究社檚 back, life-sized and in the same font.
Fighting tears while standing outside his son含羞草研究社檚 bedroom, Miki pulled up his shirt to reveal the breathtaking artwork.
含羞草研究社淥n jersey day or whatever, people ask where mine is. Well, it含羞草研究社檚 always with me, right there on my back.含羞草研究社�
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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