Chelsea Ribeiro '15 Recruiting Profile

Sports have always been a huge part of my life. Ever since I was able to participate, I have always been involved in school and extra-curricular activities, doing anything and everything active. When I was young, I played soccer and completely fell in love with the sport. Recently, as my 2013 soccer season was ending, I decided to stop playing to focus primarily on my love of running in Track & Field and Cross Country. Performance soccer helped shape me as an athlete, creating my competitive nature and hardworking attitude. Running is in my blood, and I know it is what I am meant to do. Both of my parents had always been runners, my father especially, being one of the top distance runners in British Columbia during his high school years. I’ve always known I had a strong connection to the sport, even when I was only a baby, as my parents would take me out in a stroller for long runs in the morning with them. Having said that, both my parents always encouraged me to play any sport I wanted, and the fact that I chose to run is because it is the one that I love to do most. Since I was a child, I have always wanted to be a professional athlete. My long term goal is to get to the Olympics for Athletics, which has always been a dream of mine to accomplish. Within the past 2 years, I fell inlove with Steeplechase, competing in it at the 2013 IAAF World Youth Champs for Team Canada. Short term goals will consist of meets that will get recognition for myself in the track community, internationally and locally, such has in the IAAF Youth and Junior Championships, PANAMS, and Youth Olympics. In university, I want to go into the field of study of Kinesiology and/or Physical Therapy with a future job career involving the work as a Physical Therapist for Athletes with Sport injuries. Being an athlete has given me knowledge and experience in injuries and the athletic lifestyle, so it seems suited for me to pursue this dream of mine. I also take great pride in my academics, as I have a 3.9/4.0 GPA, and have achieved straight A marks up to Grade 10, while balancing school with my athletic career. In athletics (track/cross country), I hope to excel in my athletic career, run faster times, and hopefully become an Olympic Athlete in the future. Throughout university, my goals are to improve my times, and learn how to compete and thrive in a whole new level of competition in the United States.