Abigail Folk '25 Recruiting Profile

Hi, I’m Abby. I am currently in my Junior year of high school and was selected to the Canadian Youth National Team in 2022 (alternate, World Championships Serbia), 2023 (Panams Brazil) and most recently 2024 (World Championships, China, September 2024) as well as the Canadian Junior National Team 2024 (Panams, El Salvador, May 2024).  I have been playing water polo since I was in grade 4. 

I started playing in the middle of the year and to be completely honest, I really hated it at first. I distinctly remember getting out of the training pool at the Toronto Pan Am Centre (TPASC) and I was like “where did my legs go?!”. To this day, I have my hardest swim of the week at TPASC in that exact pool, however now I usually get out of the pool and wonder where my arms went. Funny how much changes and how much stays the same over the years!

Eventually I started to enjoy water polo. I really enjoy the game as I find it combines fitness, speed, and agility with tactical and technical skill. I have always been a very energetic kid and so naturally I really enjoyed training and the training definitely remains my favourite part about water polo. I love each individual part of my weekly routine and how it allows me to maximize my potential in this sport. I swim with my local swim club, Uxbridge Swim Club (USC) three times a week; I have water polo club practices with my home club Mavericks Water Polo; and one High Performance practice at our Regional Development Centre (RDC) per week. Last season I was invited up to train with the top men’s group and was the only female athlete in that training group. Additionally, I lift about three times a week. I also run and bike regularly as they are my two favourite hobbies that help me calm my mind while spending time outside.

I live on a farm located on the Oak Ridges Moraine just outside of the Greater Toronto Area. I have two horses and I have been horseback riding since I was five. Actually, I think the core and leg strength I gained from horseback riding is what initially made me good at water polo when I was younger! Living on the moraine has taught me to appreciate spending time outside and the natural landscape. I have become interested in physical geography and I’m looking for a school that supports my career path.

I take my academics very seriously and I thoroughly enjoy sciences and math. I have learned that in both water polo and academics, setting small goals for myself eventually add up and I am then capable of doing things I never thought possible. For example, with water polo I never originally imagined myself making the Canadian Age Group National Teams (AGNT) but each small goal led to another one and suddenly the small goal became making the AGNT. Water polo has given me opportunities that I would never have imagined like traveling to Italy, Serbia and Brazil, making friends through water polo around the world, or a potential D1 scholarship. However, I would say that the most valuable things water polo has given me are the ability to manage my physical and mental health as well as time management skills that have also helped me be highly successful academically.

I am looking for a school that will provide me with an excellent education that matches my desired field of study and a high level of water polo. Additionally, and arguably most importantly, I am looking for a school that aligns with my academic and athletic principles.

For more information and my up-to-date athlete resume please visit my page: abigail.thefolks.ca