Living the dream

Fort Richmond

Fort Garry

Keylyn Filewich is living her dream.

The southwest Winnipeg native and basketball player has signed a contract with Östersund Basket in Sweden’s premier women’s basketball league, SBL Dam, marking her fourth season as a professional player.

Prior to her move to the Scandinavian nation, the former University of Winnipeg forward (who has also played centre during her career) spent time in Germany’s second tier with VfL VIACTIV-AstroLadies Bochum, where the team won the championship in her last year, when she also finished the season as MVP.

“When I finished in Germany, I wanted another chance to experience a different culture, and I had a teammate in Bochum who had played in Sweden and spoke very highly about the experience and bought into (head coach Max Tandberg Vall’s) vision,” Filewich, 27, said.

At press time, Östersund Basket had played eight times this season, winning four and losing four. The season itself, depending on how the team progresses, can potentially run until next April.

“We’ve had a crazy roller-coaster season so far,” Filewich said, noting illness and injuries — in certain cases “fluke things” such as salmonella poisoning — have affected the squad to date.

“We’ve had lots of adversity, and some of the girls have been out since the beginning of September or the start of October. I think, coming into this year, and realizing how young the team is, I wanted to be vocal and be a leader. I enjoy leading and helping the girls out.”

“I think now we’re getting the girls back, we’re finding more of a team identity and belief from defence through offence,” she added. “We’ve managed wins against two of the top teams, and by the end of the season there’s no reason why we can’t be a top four team. Every week we’re trying to get better and support each other and help us win. We’re getting more confident week by week, and getting better.”

Describing Filewich as a role model for her teammates, Tandberg Vall said he’s pleased with how the season has gone in light of the player absences and how the fit players have performed well.

“Keylyn has been a big part of this,” Tandberg Vall said, noting the league has 13 teams. “She’s been great for us. She’s the oldest player we have, so her influence is big, and she played great last season in Germany.

“Keylyn has a great personality; she’s laid back and chilled, and kind and caring, and she’s a team player and has the trust of everyone,” he added.

Raised in Fort Richmond, the Vincent Massey Collegiate alumna can safely say, if pressed, that basketball is the family business.

Her parents, dad Keon and mom Arlyn, both played at the University of Manitoba, and her brother, Kyler, also a Vincent Massey grad, played NCAA Div. 1 college ball in the U.S. and signed with the Winnipeg Sea Bears this past season. Their sister, McKenna, hasn’t followed the same path, but was arguably the best athlete of the three siblings growing up, Filewich said.

Asked if she’s ever awestruck by making a living doing something she’s so passionate about, the 6-1 athlete said she is, at times.

“I have to pinch myself sometimes when I’m dragging my feet, and then realize what’s ahead of me that day is doing some weights and going to practice,” she said.

“It’s incredibly cool to be doing this for a living, and I can’t imagine what else I’d be doing. This is exactly what I want to be doing, competing at the highest level I can.

“I love being a basketball player, I love being an athlete, and I love being competitive,” Filewich added.