Shalaya Valenzuela

Shalaya Valenzuela (born 12 June 1999) is a Canadian rugby union player who competes for the Canada women's national rugby sevens team. She won a silver medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Biography Valenzuela was born on 12 June 1999, in Abbotsford, British Columbia. She is a member of the Tseshaht First Nation and spent time in foster care as a child. She grew up playing rugby union as an inside centre, being a member of the club Abbotsford RFC, and attended Yale Secondary School, where she played for the Yale Lions. While at Yale, she received the Premier's Award for Indigenous Excellence in Sport. She graduated from the school in 2017. After Yale, she attended the University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, where she competed in U Sports for the UFV Cascades, and later transferred to the University of Victoria, where she played for the Victoria Vikes. She became the only indigenous athlete on the national team. In 2024, she was named an alternate for the team at the 2024 Summer Olympics. She was promoted to the active squad following an injury to Keyara Wardley, participating in their match against France.