Colby Konig

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Joe Davis’ Full Circle – From WolfPack Player to Coach

Joe Davis is an alumni of TRU WolfPack basketball, who is currently the associate head coach of TRU Women’s Basketball. With his undeniable experience in the game of basketball and love for the WolfPack, the job opportunity seemed like a no brainer to him. Davis was born and raised in Kamloops, and is a graduate of Westsyde secondary. Davis then went onto play U Sport basketball at TRU, then professional basketball on the Pakenham Warriors in Australia, as well as Naxxar Starlites Basketball Club in Malta. Tearing his MCL 6 months into his career in Malta, he was sent back on the next flight to Kamloops. As he is about to step up to the title of head coach of TRU WolfPack women’s basketball team for the 2026-2027 season and beyond, Davis talked about different aspects of making a career out of the sport he loves. Davis reflects on how when one door closes another door opens, and learning to seize the moments in life. 

Click to watch Davis’ story and his positive spin on negative things in sport. He gives advice, speaks about the highs and lows within his career, and everything that has led him back to Kamloops, his world spinning around the sport he loves, the school he experienced in the city that he embodies. 

Photo submitted by Joe Davis, taken by Kim Anderson, roster photo first year coaching Women’s Basketball at TRU.

Riley Brinnen’s Return to the Court – Full of Courage and Resilience

Riley Brinnen is a current TRU Men’s Volleyball Assistant Coach and a member of Team Canada Sitting Volleyball, but he has an interesting story of how he got to this point. Riley started playing for the WolfPack in the 2021-2022 season as a middle, but in November of 2023 he was in a life changing car accident, which gave him an incomplete spinal cord injury. 

I was able to catch up with Riley in the Tournament Capital Center in Kamloops, BC, where the WolfPack U Sports Teams compete. Riley talked about his new outlook on life and gives advice to athletes that are facing adversity in their athletic careers. Additionally, he talked about his highlights playing on both the TRU WolfPack and on Team Canada, while advising athletes to work harder than they ever have, because you can’t control your future. Click on the podcast to hear a story of resilience, courage and hard work.

There will always be more moments where your experiences will be amazing

Riley Brinnen, 2026
Photo submitted by Riley Brinnen, taken by Kim Anderson, 2025

Olena Vasylenko – A Life of Basketball

Olena Vasylenko in the women's basketball locker room based in the Tournament Capital Centre. Colby Konig, 2026.
Olena Vasylenko in the women’s basketball locker room based in the Tournament Capital Centre. Colby Konig, 2026.

Olena Vasylenko was born and grew up in Berdyansk, Ukraine. The 24-year-old basketball player has now made her way to Canada and, through trial and tribulation, has made a career out of her beloved sport. Vasylenko started playing basketball when she was eight years old at her school in Berdyansk. On April 6, 2022, she had to flee Ukraine because Russia was invading, but she never wavered on her love for basketball and her passion to make a career out of the sport.

Vasylenko’s Start Up

Vasylenko played on the U16, U18 and U20 Ukrainian national teams, as well as professionally in Germany and Ukraine, before making her way to Canada and debuting for the WolfPack in Kamloops, B.C. As she recalled her first basketball practices at age eight, she expressed feeling a sense of safety playing the sport, where her freedom could be found and she could have self-expression. When she left Ukraine and went to Germany, she started playing at Eigner Angels Nördlingen. By her second year there, she was an assistant coach as well as a head coach on a Regio team, at the same time as playing on the Eigner Angels team. After leaving Nördlingen, she went to Rostock, Germany, to play for the Rostock SeaWolves, as well as coaching the U12 and U16 programs. After spending time in Germany, she wanted to fulfill her dream of playing in Canada, and after some calls with the head coach of TRU women’s basketball, Scott Clark, she was on her way to Kamloops, B.C.

Vasylenko leading the offence against UNBC on December 5, 2025. Photo submitted by Olena Vasylenko, taken by Alessandro Boggio.

New Opportunities Arise

She landed in Kamloops in August 2025 and played her first season of U Sports basketball for the WolfPack while completing her master’s in education. She plans to reside in Kamloops for three years while completing her master’s degree. Olena has shown what it takes to make a career out of your sport and how your life can revolve around basketball. Every sacrifice she has made has paid off to make her dream come true.

Valuable Advice

When asked what advice she would give to younger athletes wanting to make a career out of their sport, she had plenty of advice. “It’s most important to work as hard as possible, be tough and follow instructions from your coach,” Vasylenko said. She also discussed the importance of being a good teammate, pushing everyone to get better every day and being a supporter of your teammates on and off the court. She explained the importance of confidence in sports and how, if you are not the most skilled on the team, listening to your coaches and being confident in what you do will get you the farthest.

Vasylenko's locker. Colby Konig, 2026.
Vasylenko’s locker. Colby Konig, 2026.

Vasylenko Values Hard Work

Vasylenko has portrayed resilience in its utmost form. Through all the troubles that life has thrown her way, she has kept a sense of hard work and joy in everything she does. With her never-quit and team-first mindset, she has been able to make a career out of the sport that she loves the most, and it has given her the opportunities to see the world.