NunatuKavut Inuit Spotlight: Philip Snow
Philip started playing sports as soon as he could walk. Although he tried other activities, sports was his thing, that and being outdoors! Among his favorite activities are fishing, snowmobiling, skiing and snowshoeing. In the summertime, however, you’ll find him at the soccer pitch and on the greens in Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Labrador.
Philip’s family roots are from Spotted Island, where he comes from a long line of fishermen. In 2020, he finally got the chance to visit Spotted Island where he went cod jigging with his Pop and Uncle, picked berries with his Mom, and built what his family believes to be the first mini golf hole on Spotted (as seen in the photo below).
Because of his geographic location, being recognized in sport hasn’t always been an easy feat for Philip. Limited resources often got in the way of him being able to attend competitions on the island of Newfoundland, which would not have been possible without support from his family, community, fundraising, and sponsorships.
“Growing up in a small community with not a lot of facilities and resources is a challenge. But that’s what motivates me to improve my skills, either in sports or other sorts of things,” says Philip.
Although Philip is humble about his accomplishments, his list of achievements is impressive. Outside of soccer, he has spent countless hours practicing his golf game and is recognized around the local golf club as a hardworking, skilled, dedicated young man. Two summers in a row Philip has won the local year-end junior golf championships and is now the defending Amaruk Junior Golf Champion.
In August 2021, he competed against the top ranked Junior golfers in the province at the Juvenile Boys Tely Tour open provincial invite at Terra Nova golf resort where he won in his division.
Because of these accomplishments and his hard work ethic, this summer Philip will have the opportunity to play among the provinces top Junior golfers as part of the 2022 Newfoundland Labrador Provincial Junior Golf Team. He will also be a part of Team NL under 16 boys soccer team, travelling to Halifax for the Atlantic Cup.
We asked Philip what advice he would give to youth who are passionate in sport, and he says, “You can always be better than you were yesterday. Follow your passion.” Best of luck, Philip!
