New West Secondary student bounces into bronze

It’s been quite the whirlwind adventure for Sophie Patterson, a New West Secondary (NWSS) student who recently travelled to Prince Edward Island to compete at the Canada Games.

The Grade 10 student’s specialty is gymnastics, but as she points out to New West Anchor, it’s taken years of hard work, dedication, and practice to be able to do as well as she and the rest of her team did: the group took home bronze medals at the Games.

“I started Parent and Tot gymnastics when I was only two years old because I was slow to start walking,” she tells The Anchor via email, adding that it was about a year later when her instructors told her parents that Patterson had the jump of a gymnast. “[They] recommended I [try] out for the competitive program at Vancouver Phoenix Gymnastics.”

Patterson tried out at the age of five and was able to make the team at Phoenix. Fast forward to today, and she’s trying to balance life as a student and an athlete.

“As a gymnast I miss the afternoon classes at school to train from 12:30 to 5pm. I take multiple courses online to balance everything out.” While her grades remain good, Patterson says there is definitely a lot of pressure she puts on herself because she wants to do well both in school and at the gym.

But she wouldn’t trade her experiences for anything.

“Gymnastics has given me the opportunity to travel all around Canada and the US, and even to France. Despite the many hardships of gymnastics, I’ve learned so many life skills like perseverance and adaptability,” she explains, adding that it’s also been a great way to make some incredible memories and meet some lifelong friends.

As for her participation in her most recent games, she says the experience was overall pretty smooth.

“We stayed at the University of PEI in the newest buildings and ate at the dining hall. All the volunteers made everything so enjoyable and made sure all the events and meals went to plan.”

Additionally, Patterson had the opportunity to fly on a chartered plane for the first time in her life. “[The flight] flew directly from BC to PEI! That was a really fun and new experience as I’ve never been in a chartered flight before,” says Patterson.

While she’s still in Grade 10, she’s already looking ahead and making post-secondary plans: she’d like to get a scholarship to an American school, and is planning to tour schools as early as this summer.

“I’d like to do something related to business, but I’m not quite sure what yet!”

Business runs in the family: Sophie’s dad, Rich Patterson, runs PBJ Merch Co., and both he and his wife Shannon say they couldn’t be prouder of their daughter.

“She is just an overall good kind person,” says Rich. “Somehow she balances all the hard work and is a straight-A student at NWSS and coaches gymnastics at the New West Sporstplex in Queens Park.”

As for any advice the talented gymnast has for those looking to give the sport a try?

“Remember not to give up when things get hard, it only makes you stronger when you overcome it!”