Trio Magazine

VALLEY GOALIE SCORES SCHOLARSHIP TO ITALY

Comox Valley’s Chiara Le Vesconte won a $100,000 soccer scholarship to Italy’s Rome City Institute in 2023. Vesconte was the recipient of the scholarship due to her soccer skills as a goalie. This past year has been a world wind for her - new continent, new country and new city. The athlete student has little time to be homesick. Between practice, the gym and her academics, her days are full. “It almost just felt like I didn’t have time to be homesick, I was always on the go, just trying to focus on soccer. Focus on academics and focus on just like my schedule. So, it felt like I didn’t have time.” In Italy, Le Vesconte balances her time between three teams, her school team of Rome Institute, Lazio and the semi-professional tea called Ladispoli. She shares that attending Rome City Institute makes her as an athlete student, rather than a student athlete as more of her time is spent playin soccer versus in classrooms. Le Vesconte is studying sports management and hopes to continue to get a master’s degree in international business. She describes the move to Italy as initially a culture shock, citing the differences between the Valley that she still calls
home and Rome.

“A highlight has just been honestly, obviously the soccer part, but the self growth as well. Just getting out of my comfort zone and exploring, seeing parts of the world and playing at a higher level. My first year as a player was extremely successful,”
said Le Vesconte. Her busy schedule has her working out three times a day, being on the field twice a day plus going to the gym at least once a day. With all that practice, it is inevitable that her skills would improve within the first year of her degree.

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GROCERY STORE AS ART INSTALLATION

The Buckley Bay ferry terminal is the launching point for travellers heading to Denman and Hornby islands. It is the place where Islanders land when they come to Vancouver Island to visit, explore or even do things like get groceries. It also happens to be about half an hour from the nearest grocery store, depending on traffic, no matter which way you decide to go.
So, Leah Weinberg and Gerald Richardson decided to do the reasonable thing and open a grocery store.

Well, that’s not exactly the case. The operation that would eventually come to be known as Weinberg’s Good Food started as a buying club in Vancouver where Weinberg and other like-minded people would order larger amounts of specialty food. After Richardson’s work situation changed, the couple had the chance to move to F***y Bay and the idea took off from there. “initially, we just wanted to sort of be a place that people in our local area could get essentials,” Weinberg said. “We live in F***y Bay, and it’s a pretty long drive if you just need an apple or an on-ion. The original idea was to be a basic kind of place for people in the neighbourhood.”