At Kajaks, she's coached by Byron, who Sofia describes as "an amazing coach." Coach Byron's dedication is unmatched, and "he goes to great lengths to support his athletes". Recently, her new sprints coach, Michaela, has been a key figure in her development.
The 2024 season was bittersweet for Varma-Vitug, who persevered despite losing her grandfather the day before her first triple jump competition of the season, winning it with a new PB and going on to win the U18 Canadian Indoor Championships with another PB the following week. Setting new PBs at the prestigious Oregon Relays and U20 Nationals were mid-season highlights. It was literally a whirlwind end to the season, with the Legions U18 Triple Jump event being halted for safety while she was on the runway due to dangerous whirlwinds throwing tents into the sky, to the shock of athletes and spectators.
Varma-Vitug's high school track journey has been marked by continuous progress, even in the face of challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic. "In Grade 8, there was no track because of COVID, so Grade 9 was the first time competing in high school. I won the BCs for Junior Girls' triple jump and 4x100m relay, which was a great way to get started." Her favorite experience in track so far has been the 2022 BC Summer Games. "Bonding with athletes brought me friends in the track community and made memories that I still think about today."
As she progressed, so did her passion for the sport. "In Grade 10, I started getting more interested in weight training, and competing at higher level meets," she shares. "This year, getting over 12 meters in the triple jump was a huge goal. I was at 11.20m last year, and this year I leapt almost a meter more."
As Varma-Vitug looks forward to the remainder of her high school career, she has clear goals in mind. "A main goal would be for York House to win a banner at BCSS Provincials, and next year I will officially be a U20 athlete, so I want to medal."
For younger athletes, Varma-Vitug offers a piece of advice that reflects her own journey: "Don't rule anything out based on your size. I'm only 5 feet tall, and people don't really look at me and say 'that's a triple jumper,' but here I am, ranked #1 in Canada (U18)."