"Know your value," says Olympic hopeful.

Fast, lean, confident and profound, 2008 Olympic track hopeful David Gill is a remarkable role model and ambassador for First Nations.

A member of the Mashteuiatsh First Nation in Quebec's Lac St. Jean region, Gill, 27, found time out of a very full schedule to speak with Windspeaker in Laval University's sports complex late one Friday evening, but he can hardly sit still. He touches his cap, sips water, taps the table. He is a man in motion and his energy is contagious.

Gill trains intensely every day, running twice a day, five days a week. He also teaches English as a second language to complete his bachelor's degree and is simultaneously working towards a master's degree in business. Gill, who loves marketing, recently sold his own successful company, which he founded while he was recovering from injuries.

He has been giving motivational speeches to First Nation youth for five years now. Enthusiastic, eloquent and bilingual, he calls his presentation Dreams and Actions. His message encourages young people to achieve goals. He would love the opportunity to travel the country and speak to more communities. This is a possibility since Gill will be relocating to Victoria, B.C. in January in order to train. He has a personal life too, with his girlfriend and daughter.

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Gill began running at 18, a relatively late start. Asked when he knew he might be Olympic material, he answers immediately. "As soon as I started, I started full time," he said.

"You know track is the hardest event on the planet. It's because track and field is the most accessible sport. Everyone can run, jump or throw. So the best track and field runner in the world is the best track and field runner in the world."

A champion of the 800-meter middle-distance run, Gill is now also leaning towards the 1500-meter long-distance run. But he still has quite a bit of work ahead of him before he finds out if he will be part of the Canadian Olympic team heading for Beijing.

"The Olympic trials will take place maybe about two months before the games," Gill explained. "Up until then I have to hit a standard time plus be top four in the trials."

Gill placed seventh at a recent track meet, but he wasn't disappointed with his performance. "I did my job. I was thirty seconds faster this year," he said.

Named 2006 Canadian Interuniversity Sport male track athlete of the year for the second consecutive season, Gill was a triple-gold medallist at the university nationals in 2005. He represented Canada at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Australia and currently holds the fastest time for the 800-meter. Laval University recently presented him with the prestigious Personality Gala Forces Avenir award for Step by Step, a project he created to promote good health within First Nations communities.

Health is at the centre of his value system. Concerned about obesity and unhealthy lifestyles in the communities, he has taken it upon himself to promote healthy living. "It's all about quality of life and of having values. If you have health, at least everything else isn't as bad," he said.

"I tell students I'm healthy, I'm in shape and I'm cool."

Where does that inner strength come from? According to Gill, you need to think of a dream then take one tiny step at a time to get there. While he runs, he reflects.

"Life is a series of choices," he said. "You always have one choice with two alternatives--you can either get closer to your dream or farther away."

After a moment's pause, he added: "There are people who say it, and there are people who do it." Gill definitely does it.

What steps has he taken to help him realize his dream? "First, I don't have a TV. That's one of the choices I've made because I want to be productive," he said.

"Up until lately, my dream was 100 per cent track, but the First Nations are getting really important. So I think I'm pushing towards two dreams--[the Olympics] and trying to be a model with the First Nations."

But, Gill said, in the end it's really all about being happy. "Right now, what makes me happy is kicking ass on the track and being crazy fast. I feel good about myself."

He also feels proud and productive when he honors his First Nations heritage.

"First of all, I'm Innu, but I really see myself as a First Nations member in general," he said.

Gill believes in helping to improve the future of First Nations youth. He was the youth council co-ordinator for the first ever Quebec First Nations Socioeconomic Forum held recently in Mashteuiatsh, uniting nine out of Quebec's 11 Aboriginal groups.

"I know my value," Gill said firmly." I'm proud of what I do. I know I'm good at things. It's important, I think, for people to be proud."

By Marie White

Windspeaker Contributor

LAVAL, Que.