Angela Tilk — Women’s basketball
First-year public international affairs student Angela Tilk has moved to the capital this year for her master’s program at the University of Ottawa—and for basketball. Tilk had great success at Ryerson University during her undergraduate years. She was known as the strong undersized post across the province. In her first year, she was awarded the Ontario University Athletics East All-Rookie Team, and then in the 2011–2012 season she was given the Second Team East All-Stars award.
The Fulcrum: What are your main reasons for coming to the University of Ottawa for your master’s program?
Angela Tilk: My program is public international affairs; it’s a master’s of social sciences. I picked it because it has a really good co-op option, and I spoke to a couple of different people about the programs in my interested field and public international affairs came up a lot. I also had a really good visit when I came here to meet the basketball side of things. So it just seemed like the perfect opportunity to combine really good academics with really good athletics. I couldn’t pass it up.
What is your favourite thing about being a Gee-Gee?
Winning and being a part of a team that actually lives what they say. They say they will put in extra work and they actually do put in the extra work. They are super dedicated and very talented and have all the right pieces for a winning team. It’s nice to win.
As a leader, what did you bring to the team this year?
I bring experience to the team and I can provide some of the younger girls with direction. I am pretty much a rookie in some aspects of the game because I am just starting with some of the new systems and all that, but the way that I am learning, I can help the younger girls follow in the same path as me. I’ve been through this before, I’ve learned a system before. So I know how to do it. I can help the younger girls out that way.
What is your pre-game routine?
I always have my pre-game nap, and it always happens around 2:30 p.m. unless we’re on the road, then it happens at 3:00 p.m. I like to eat earlier at around 1:30 p.m. I always like to be the first one in the gym before our team or the other team is there to put some shots up. It sort of makes you realize why you are there, just to play basketball with no one else around you because you really like it. And it helps me get in the zone. I hate shooting around while there’s a thousand other people shooting and your ball goes everywhere. So it’s a good way to get in beforehand, you can focus on your shot, on yourself, and what you have to do for the game.
What is your favourite restaurant in Ottawa?
Well, I love beaver tails. It’s not really a restaurant but it’s delicious. And I really like La Bottega, it’s the little sandwich bistro in the Market and I went to the noodle house on Elgin in the summer a lot. Don’t even get me started on shawarma. I live near Shawarma Palace and I have shawarma about six times a week, it’s ridiculous. It’s gotten to the point where I am physically sick but I still want another one. That’s what I eat all the time.
What is your favourite movie or TV show to watch when you are not studying and playing basketball?
I really like Scrubs. It’s a medical comedy sort of like Grey’s Anatomy, but no drama, just comedy. They’re only 20-minute episodes with Zach Braff and it’s light-hearted. It takes your mind off of things and it’s only 20 minutes long so if you watch two episodes it’s still only 40 minutes and it’s an allowable study break. It’s really funny.
If you had two days off from basketball, what would you do?
Definitely take advantage of afternoon naps. I would, maybe on the first night, go out and have a really big dinner and not have to worry if I can have beer or not with my meal. The second night, I would do a lot of stuff during the day. When I had basketball and school, I would always be like, “must conserve energy, can’t do anything.” So, if I had free time, I would go for a nice long walk in the Market, maybe go shopping, or get out of the house and do something other than my usual routine.
