KAMLOOPS – All the way from a homemade copy printed at Staples to bookstores across Canada, Thompson Rivers WolfPack student-athlete Sydney Sunderland's I Am Everything In Between will hit the shelves in March.
 
A children's book written and illustrated by Sunderland, I Am Everything In Between is all about celebrating one's sense of self and the differences that make us unique.
 
"The book is about being yourself - your true self - and more specifically about being able to be who you are when it comes to gender norms," said Sunderland. "It's about showing kids that it's okay to step outside of the regular gender norms and that it's okay to dress differently or look differently than what is typically expected of them. Really it's about it being okay to be different."
 
While Sunderland always wanted to write a book, it wasn't until after the first-year WolfPack soccer player from Courtenay presented I Am Everything In Between as part of a Grade 12 year-end project that the idea began to grow.
 
After an enthusiastic reception to the presentation - and at the advice of teachers - Sunderland sent the book out to publishing agencies across Canada before striking up a deal with Rebel Mountain Press based out of Nanaimo this past Summer.
 
Wanting to create something to help children struggling with the ideas of stereotypical gender norms and worried that they may not be fitting in, Sunderland hopes the book can have a positive impact.
 
"It is important for everyone to be understanding so that they can be accepting of all people, but a big part of me wanting to write this book was that so kids who are struggling can read it," said Sunderland. "If they are struggling, confused, upset or having a negative response to the way that they are, that they can now see that it is okay to be different."
 
A book rooted in Sunderland's own experiences growing up, I Am Everything In Between is all about helping people navigate their way through being true to themselves in life according to Sunderland.
 
"The idea and process of writing it is a personal one and has been throughout my whole life growing up," said Sunderland. "I think a book like this would have helped me when I was younger and I think that's a big reason why I wrote it. I would have loved to have something like this as a kid."
 
"When I was younger I dressed differently and presented myself differently than a typical young girl would have, but I didn't really know why I was different than some of my friends. Sometimes it received negative comments or negative reactions from other people and I think having something like this book when I was younger would have been really awesome to see. It would have been great to read and realize that there are other people who might feel the same way that I did."
 
Balancing the demands of being a student-athlete as well as everything that comes with the first year at university, Sunderland – who tied for the team lead in assists as a rookie – has instantly gelled with a new set of teammates.
 
"I have definitely found a welcoming place here with the WolfPack," said Sunderland. "Soccer and being a member of a team throughout my whole life has been a really positive part of my life and coming to Kamloops and being a part of a really awesome team and having really awesome teammates who are really supportive of this book is also great and it's all just really cool."
 
Released March 15, I Am Everything In Between is available for pre-order now online.