Sofia Dansereau '25 Recruiting Profile

Hi, my name is Sofia Dansereau, I am a competitive springboard diver with the Nepean Ottawa Diving Club. I was born in 2007 and started my diving career in 2014 at the age of 7. I will be graduating from high school in 2025. My goal is to continue my diving career throughout my college/university years and develop as an individual in my sport and in academics. I attend the french catholic secondary school Pierre-Savard. By graduation, I plan to decide whether I will focus on the field of design (architecture, interior) or health (kinesiology, physiotherapy).

Growing up I tried many sports including soccer, dancing (ballet & hip-hop), gymnastics and swimming. Then in 2012 my family and I were watching the London Summer Olympics. When the diving event came on I was inspired, I turned to my parents and said “I want to do that!” My parents told me I had to be a better swimmer in order to try diving, I was determined. For the next two years, I continued to take swimming lessons and asked my instructors at every opportunity to go on the diving boards. Finally, in the fall of 2014, I joined diving and so my passion for the sport began. A year later I was invited to the competitive team and started training with my coach Fernando Henderson. The pool quickly became my happy place. I love showing up to practice every day, giving it my all and learning new dives. 

I train for 3 hours a day, 5 days a week, and for the past two years, I have added working with a Sports Science specialist who has tailored a program for me to increase my strength and explosiveness on the board. After practice as well as on the weekends I give back to my sport by teaching kids in the Learn to Dive program at our club. My coaching has helped me develop my critical thinking skills and analysis of diving which has helped me evaluate my own performances within the sport and grow as an athlete. 

I compete at the provincial level, both in my age group as well as in the senior category. I dive 1m springboard 3m springboard and synchro events with my partner Sahana Narayanan. I have had the opportunity to compete internationally at the 2020 Orlando All-Star Invitational and at the 2022 Camo International Invitational. In 2019 I was named to the Aspire Team Ontario. In 2022 I was named to the Aspire Team Ontario for the second time following the COVID-19 shutdowns. 

I look forward to learning new dives and advancing my skills as an athlete as well as furthering myself academically in the future!

- Sofia