RED LAKE -- Danielle Marion was born in Red Lake and has lived here most of her life. She is a long-time active member of the community after working as the manger of The Balmer Hotel for almost 10 years. She has now transitioned into getting her real estate license and working as a realtor with Century 21 Northern Choice Realty. Marion’s husband has two children from a previous relationship and two with Danielle. They have been together since 2008.
“My kids are my number one passion, so getting involved with youth and sport is logical for me,” says Marion.
Marion played many sports growing up. She enjoyed golf, baseball, basketball, volleyball, soccer, broomball, curling and figure skating. She joined the lady’s hockey league, where her husband, Guy, coached, when she was an adult. Furthermore, she is on the minor hockey executive alongside a group of local parent volunteers and coached minor baseball this year. Marion knows that exercise has many benefits, like boosting confidence, working together, accomplishing goals, and instilling the principles of hard work.
“I saw kids go from missing baseball due to COVID, and not knowing what first base was, to scoring a home run by the end of the year,” says Marion.
The Red Lake Indian Friendship Centre has a program called Kids Are Recreationally Equal (K.A.R.E.) which provides financial support for children aged 0-18 participating in sports, recreation or art programs. Danielle teamed up with them and local photographer Alyx Drager last Christmas by hosting family portrait sessions and donating 100 per cent of the proceeds to the K.A.R.E program.
“There is something so special about a team. It’s a sense of cohesiveness and belonging that at times people may not feel in any other aspect of their life,” says Marion.
Marion is a part of The Young Guns baseball team and has been playing with them on and off since 2003. The Young Guns team has been a part of the Red Lake community for 19 years. Over the years, the people on the team have changed, with some people leaving and new people joining; however, the team remains very close-knit. They’ve seen each other through weddings, kids and everything in between.
“We’ve seen each other through a ton and we kind of just mesh well with one another,” says Marion. “It keeps us connected.”
Marion has worked hard to achieve academic certifications to aid in her physical pursuits. She has taken courses in the physical education sector and has become certified in multiple areas. She took a Psychology of Sports program, a Personal/Group and resistance training certification through Ontario Fitness Council, and a 200-hour yoga instructor certification course.
Though she doesn’t have a lot of spare time between her work, home life and extracurriculars; she likes to spend time being outdoors with her family. She spends her summers in Red Lake enjoying camping and fishing.
“We live in some beautiful country in northwestern Ontario, and I try to take advantage of it,” says Marion.