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