Sophie Melnyk has certainly earned her place as one of Innisfil’s fastest-rising sports stars.
The 15-year-old is becoming well-known as a high-level multi-sport athlete, training in jiu-jitsu since the age of eight, and competing for the last two seasons on the Nantyr Shores Secondary School rugby team.
This summer, she made it to the Pan Kids International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation Championship in Florida, where she won gold in the Teen 3 female orange 143.6-pound category.
“My whole goal was to create a name for myself,” Sophie said, sitting at her kitchen table, surrounded by family and multiple pet cats. “I want people to say my name and know who I am.”
Sophie trains out of Champs Academy in Barrie, and first gained interest in the sport while watching her younger brother in classes.
“I was like, ‘I could do that,’” she said, noting she trains about six days a week now, often against men. “It’s just a passion. I’ve been doing it for a long time. When tournaments are coming up, especially the week before, I hit as many classes as I can and go as hard as I can.”
But the Grade 10 student is also a powerhouse on the rugby field, where recently she was named her team’s player of the tournament, after Nantyr lost in the final of the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) rugby sevens championship.
Oh, and she played all five games with a sprained ankle.
“She’s definitely setting a standard,” said her dad, Danny Melnyk. “I’m over the moon with her. It’s not so much that she’s successful, it’s her dedication and motivation. At first we encouraged her to go. But now she’s telling us how much she wants to go. She’s evolved into this person who has this passion and drive that really is inspirational. She’s so incredible. I’m so proud of her.”
Last year, Sophie started as the only Grade 9 rookie for the varsity squad, which was ranked at the time as a Top-10 team in Ontario.
“I can’t run that fast when I’m running down the street,” she said. “But as soon as I have a reason to run I’m faster than most of the girls on the field.”
Coach Matt Rietkoetter describes Sophie as “extremely coachable” and a “caring teammate.”
“She is incredibly intelligent on the field, and is able to use her vision, speed and strength to be one of our leading scorers,” he said. “She competes with a fierce determination on defence as well, relentless in her pursuit of opposition ball carriers. She has been given a lot of responsibility in her designated positions on the field, playing either as a hooker or scrum-half. She is an amazing kid.”
Sophie also shows up with a smile on her face each day, and is an honour-roll student who carries a 90 per cent grade average.
Others expressed similar sentiment.
“Sophie is an amazing student, athlete and person,” said Teri-Ann Dallimore, the athletic director for the school’s girls rugby team. “She is also very humble, kind, and dedicated to training hard. All of her teammates like her a lot, and are genuinely happy for her success.”
Sophie hopes to one day make a prestigious adult-level jiu-jitsu competition, get a rugby scholarship to an American university and become a chiropractor or physiotherapist.
Follow Sophie's journey through her Instagram page.
