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Moresports Personality Profiles

Aarthika, Janie, Navnita: A Gaggle of Girls with Goals
By Kimberly Daum

Aarthika, Janie, and Navnita

Aarthika Naganthiran, Janie Nguyen, and Navnita Gautam, are Sir Charles Tupper Secondary students. They are best friends who could easily go on the road as a comedy troupe. They are so effervescent and entertaining they could carry a TV talk show for teens or officiate a three-ring circus, except that one of them – Janie – is afraid of dogs. But Janie's working on her canine phobia because she hopes to have one named Tim-bit one day, down the line when the three each have their own homes and "all live on the same block."

To say this gaggle of girls lights up a room is a colossal understatement; in truth they provide enough energy to illuminate the biggest rock show ever presented in a stadium. They bounce off one another like married seniors who have known each other since kindergarten; they don't just finish each others' sentences but often start them and sometimes speak in unison or harmonies.

This gaggle has goals. Janie, the shortest of the three, wants "to be taller," and she has other aspirations as well.

"I have a lot of goals," 17-year-old Janie says. "In academics right now I really want to win the chemistry award. For sports, I do track right now. I'd like to make City's (competition) for shot put and triple jump. In shot put I'm the little one and it's good in a way that I'm good at it because they didn't think I could do it. For work (she has a part-time job at McDonald's) I'd like to get promoted and have more leadership roles. For school I'd like to go to UBC, but before I go I'd like to figure out what I'd like to do."

Aarthika, 16, shares Janie's aspiration to attend UBC as does Navnita who is 17.

"My first goal is to get into university," Aarthika says. "I really want to be a TV reporter. And I want work experience in Grade 12; I want to do it at CTV and pursue that next year."

"First I need to graduate from highschool," Navnita says. Number two is track and field. I hate shot put but people say I'm good at it so I want to go to City and win shot put. Then university at UBC. I want to take all of the courses I want to be a doctor, and before that I want make a hospital for my gramma."

Navnita's gramma, "a strong woman who jogged until she was 80 years old," passed away of old age just before school started this year. It was a hurtful loss because the two were so close.

"My parents were always working and I connected more with my gramma. To be a doctor is what I want and a hospital is what I believe she wanted, what she deserved."

The girls all agree that their families are deserving of their appreciation.

Aarthika was born in Nairobi, Kenya. Her parents, mother Nanthine and father Naganthiran (his first name is Aarthika's last name), are from Sri Lanka. They moved to Vancouver via Egypt and France because of the Sri Lankan war and arrived here when Aarthika was five-years-old.

"I think I'm pretty lucky to be here, and right now there is also war happening (in Sri Lanka). If I was still there I would have been raised stricter. Girls there can't play these kinds of sports. I wouldn't have been allowed out alone and would have to be with my mom all of the time for safety."

Aarthika had some struggles with the transition from country to country even at that young age and stage when language development is easiest.

"In Africa I learned French so it was difficult to learn English, Aarthika says. "Then I forgot all of my French. Now I'm taking Spanish. Now, I speak four, almost five, or four and half languages," she laughs.

Janie was born in Toronto. Her parents, mother Cam and father Thanh, came to Canada from Vietnam.

"They experienced a little of the war there and so that's why they immigrated," Janie says. "They landed in Toronto and arrived in Vancouver before I went into kindergarten. We traveled around the Lower Mainland and then settled in Vancouver. My dad was a taxi driver in Vietnam which he says was considered a very good job there."

"I know that my brothers and I take for granted the things we have at home. We're a little greedy and we don't really understand how much work it took to get the things we have. We're a little spoiled," Janie says.

Navnita was born in Surrey, the "brown town," she guffaws.

"My parents (mom Asha and father Giriraj) were born in India. We also went back and forth between Surrey and Vancouver and settled in Vancouver. My parents were struggling with finances at first. Dad worked double shifts and mom was working too. Gramma stayed with us kids. My dad delivered papers. He was in the Indian military and was pressured to get married and he still talks about how he would have been a military leader if he had stayed in India."

"My dad was telling me how at first he didn't want to come to Canada. Then he realized there would be a better lifestyle and education. If I was in India I couldn't play the sports we want to play. Girls there have to go to school and then come back and do cleaning chores. It's the same for me as for Janie. We didn't realize how much work it took for our parents to give us what we do have. I've actually been putting my feet into their shoes and showing empathy for what they've been through."

The discussion about being girls in some countries revealed sensitivity to and empathy for those still there and a deep understanding and appreciation of the freedoms they, as independent and involved young female leaders, enjoy here.

Aarthika says, "In Sri Lanka girls wouldn't be able to play basketball and if they did it's not like what we play here. It's not really like the game. The girls there couldn't play girls rugby. They have to do dainty sports where there is no touching."

All three girls' mothers played volleyball in their countries of origin so they come to their love of sports honestly, and one gets the sense that their mothers would have played other sports had the culture allowed it. Their daughters have that opportunity today and the mothers are encouraging and supportive.

Aarthika got into MoreSports Fastbreak basketball at Kenningston Elementary in Grade 2 and played through Grade 7. She also ran track, played a little baseball and volleyball. In highschool she runs track and is on the basketball and volleyball teams.

Janie played basketball and ran track in Grade 5 and played on the basketball team in Grade 7. She learned to play volleyball in Grade 9. Now she's running track and tries to learn a new track event each year and a new sport in physical education as well.

But she missed out playing in MoreSports.

"My friends did it but I was too frightened to do it," Janie says. "Now that I'm volunteering for MoreSports I regret that because it would have been such a great experience."

"Sooooooooo," Navnita says and you can tell a long list is coming behind it, "in Grade 4 I played fastbreak basketball until grade 7, also in elementary school I went to a Westside school that offered cross country. I'm like a snail now. Badminton, track, tried a new sport volleyball, basketball."

Navnita does it all and as a tall girl has the physique to stretch, run, and reach.

The girls have good memories when it comes to their sports lives through school but pinning the girls down about how they became involved in MoreSports was impossible. They simply don't know but condensed it down to this:

"It's all Ny (Lath, MoreSports Midtown Hub Coordinator). He says, ‘Do you want to do this' and we say, ‘Sure as long as we're together.' It's like he gets everyone together so that everyone is involved in everything."

"I think MoreSports is a way to really get kids involved. I missed out on it and really regret it. It really sets kids up for their future for highschool. And it builds friendships," Janie says.

"Since people are involved in MoreSports they can talk about it," Aarthika adds.

Aarthika and Navnita who played in different MoreSports hubs met through a MoreSports tournament. The three girls all met again in Grade 10 and then, according to Navnita, became the "awesome-nist of friends in friendship town!"

They spill into gales of laughter. Are these girls having fun yet? Indeed. But it's not all about fun; it's also about pitching in.

Aarthika volunteers at Murugan Temple every Friday providing a closing ritual after services, cleaning up and tearing down. She volunteers at Kenningston school during Christmas, Easter, and Canada Day events. Navnita volunteered at Mount St. Joseph hospital and is trying to get a volunteer position at Amherst Hospital. And every year she volunteers at the Gray's Park month-long community festival in summer. Janie sticks to volunteering for MoreSports.

Aarthika and Navnita, as a result of their volunteer work for MoreSports, have jobs as coaches for Strathcona Community Centre.

"We have our own team," Aarthika says, "and have to do everything. Volunteering for MoreSports graduated me into a job. It developed my organizational and communication skills."

Janie says, "MoreSports has improved my leadership skills a lot, and given me more confidence to talk even to my peers. The skills I've learned I use at work at McDonald's as I'm climbing my ladder to become management there. I have those skills from MoreSports."

"Okay," says Navnita, "We coach Grade 4, 5, and 6 girls. It's pretty hard. I was really afraid to join MoreSports because of racism I experienced in another part of town basically. I didn't want to go out in the world and shine. I was pretty shut down before. I started coming out of my bubble in Grade 9."

"My parents are pretty proud of me because (coaching at Strathcona) is my first job. They brought me Indian sweets that day! My relatives just know that I'm good at my studies, athletics, and volunteer a lot. My dad's proud of me but doesn't want me to do too much. I have a curfew at 7pm. What is this?"

Navnita's hearty laugh is contagious and we all laugh as we agree that a 7pm curfew is just not reasonable. And neither is Janie's older brother.

"He doesn't understand," Janie says. "He says, ‘Why volunteer when you can be working?' I tell him it's something I have to do because it feels good. My dad says, ‘My daughter is so good. She does all of these things on her own. I don't have to say anything to her.'"

"(My parents) brag," Aarthika says. "Mom got me into MoreSports and I liked it. Now she brags that she's the one that started it."

The girls believe that getting involved in MoreSports is more than just an experience or way to develop skills and make friends. They say it helps figure out who you are and what you want to do and become.

Aarthika says you should volunteer because it "helps you in almost everything you do."

"Just telling people that I was in it people know that's it a really good thing. Tell your friends about it and get more people to join. There is just a lot of positive reinforcement about it."

"Yeah, just get involved," Janie says. Figure out what you like and don't like. Once you figure out what you like you're going to want to do it more and more. Get your friends to do it with you and if not you'll make friends. You don't want to regret anything. You have to try everything in life at least once. I got burnt at work once and everyone was like ‘Oh no,' but I was like ‘You have to try everything once. Now I've been burnt and I know I don't like it. And I won't do that again.'"

"The only thing I can add," says Navnita, "is that if you do join MoreSports or other fun community services you can figure out where you fit-in in the world. You could find out that you're Steve Nash one day! Bam!"

"Bam," Janie says, "That's her signature word!"

The girls dissolve into giggles again and we move on…

"My Strathcona supervisor told me that little kids should start (sports) so they develop their skills. Every camp counts because they develop their skills and build confidence playing that sport and you meet a lot of new friends," Navnita says.

"Someone once told me that before you can really play a game or any sport you have to fall in love with it," Janie adds. "The difference is the passion. Working hard for it is one thing but you have to have the passion for it because it will enhance your performance. Being exposed to various sports young means youngsters can identify sports they enjoy and that stays with them which then leads to a healthy lifestyle."

"And when you're young you're not really sure what you want to do but just keep going," Aarthika advises. "I know for me if my mom had not kept me going I would not have fallen in love with basketball like I am now. Just keep going, and the passion will come up if its there."

Indeed. Perhaps the girls' passion began with Navnita's gramma, the jogging 80-year-old woman, and the three girls' mothers who in lands faraway played volleyball, the sport they were allowed to play while they dreamt of their futures, the daughters they might have, and the sports those daughters might play one day.

Because of their parents' courage, hard work, and open-mindedness Aarthika, Janie, and Navnita have helped to level the playing field for girls here.

Bam! That's a signature achievement for a gaggle of girls with great goals.