“I’d always dreamed about the Olympics, but I never thought it would be a reality,” says Lucas Van Berkel, who graduated from Trinity Western University in 2014.
Van Berkel made his Olympic debut in Tokyo a few summers ago. Now in 2024, the professional volleyball player is off to the Games for a second time.
TWU at the Games
Five Trinity Western Spartans alumni will be representing Canada in Paris: Eric Loeppky, Brodie Hofer, and Lucas Van Berkel will be competing on the men's volleyball team, Regan Yee in the steeplechase, and Alison Jackson in the road race and time trial cycling events. The Summer Games in Paris will take place from July 26 to August 11, 2024.
Stay tuned this summer on TWU's website and social media channels to see their stories.
"Some of the memories that will last a lifetime happened at Trinity Western."
Positive campus support
Van Berkel says he loves volleyball for its high intensity and full team engagement. “In volleyball, everyone has to be involved in order to be successful,” he says, “You need every position.”
As a student, Van Berkel played on the Trinity Western Spartans men’s volleyball team. He describes choosing to attend TWU as “the best decision of [his] life.”
“I'm so grateful for those five years at Trinity Western University,” he says, remembering his campus life.
It was TWU’s positive community as a Christian liberal arts university that benefitted Van Berkel in many ways.
“I was put in environments where I was so supported, with people my age and people that I looked to for leadership. I really don't think I would have gotten that anywhere else in any other university.”
The impact of TWU peers and mentors enabled Van Berkel to mature in his character and his Christian faith. “I feel like I grew so much in those years that shaped me as a person, and my relationship with God grew tremendously.”
“It's such an honour...my whole goal for playing volleyball was to represent Canada at the Olympics.”
Personal and professional growth
“Some of my closest friends were from Trinity Western. Some of the memories that will last a lifetime happened at Trinity Western,” he says, thinking of his alma mater.
“I'll forever be grateful for those five years at Trinity Western and what I learned about myself and my relationship with Christ.”
Now that Van Berkel has been named to Canada’s men’s volleyball team bound for the Paris, he enthuses, “It's such an honour. Really, my whole goal for playing volleyball was to represent Canada at the Olympics.”
“I will always remember the first time I got my first Canada jersey,” he continues. “Seeing the flag and the last name and connecting the two—it was such a special moment.”
“There's definitely a lot of pride playing for the Maple Leaf,” he underscores.
“There's definitely a lot of pride playing for the Maple Leaf.”
Strong support network
When counting his closest supporters, Van Berkel immediately names his home crew: “I have to start with [my wife] Holly and my kids.”
He and his close supporters stay connected through social media. Van Berkel references a volleyball group chat that includes his parents, in-laws, siblings, cousins, uncles, aunts, plus “everyone that's watching every single game of mine in pro.”
Van Berkel knows that he can count on this support. “It doesn't matter what time it is, there's someone I know [who’s] watching; and they're all texting throughout the game and keeping up to date.”
He beams when thinking of his network of friends and family. “They’re such a huge support system that I don't think I would be here without them.”
“I'll always appreciate what they did and do for me and all the support they've given.”
See also: alumnus Brodie Hofer bound for the 2024 Summer Games
About Spartan Athletics
As official members of U SPORTS, the Spartans currently compete in 13 sports in the Canada West conference, including women's and men's soccer, volleyball, basketball, hockey, cross country and track & field, as well as women's rugby sevens. TWU also competes as an independent team in men's rugby and women's and men's disc golf. Since TWU entered U SPORTS in 1999, the Spartans have won 14 U SPORTS team championships and 34 Canada West team championships.
The Complete Champion Approach™ (CCA) training system helps Trinity Western Spartan student-athletes become champions in all areas of their lives by focusing on whole person development.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is a global Christian liberal arts university. We are dedicated to equipping students to discover meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. Drawing upon the riches of the Christian tradition, seeking to unite faith and reason through teaching and scholarship, Trinity Western University is a degree-granting research institution offering liberal arts and sciences as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has locations in Canada: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Instagram @trinitywestern, Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn. For media inquiries, please contact: media@twu.ca.