NSS student is at the top of her game

From ski racing to summer research to honour-roll status, Sophia Felesky’s accomplishments have helped place her on quite the exclusive list. 

In the recent March-April edition of Avenue Magazine, Felesky was named to the inaugural Top 20 Under 20 as she completes her final year of studies at the National Sport School (NSS). 

This prestigious distinction honours local teenagers who are deemed to be rising stars. Their variety of pursuits include contributions to business, science, music, athletics, and community service.  

Sophia Felesky's accomplishments have landed her a spot in Avenue Magazine's Top Twenty Under Twenty.

Felesky’s story starts when her parents put her on skis as soon as she could walk. She then began ski racing at the age of five, which quicky developed into a personal passion she would live out for the next 12 years. 

Due to her ski racing schedule, Felesky has embraced remote learning four days a week for each of the last four years. However, she insists she didn’t take the easy way out regarding academic demands. 

“I think that when people hear ‘National Sport School’, their minds immediately go to it being very sport- and athletic-focused, which it is, but I think the scholarly aspect of it often is overlooked,” Felesky professed in a WinSport classroom. “You are still held to an academic standard. Your teachers want you to succeed in your sport, but at the end of the day, it’s still a school, and your teachers want you to succeed in your academics as well.” 

It didn’t take long for the soon-to-be-graduate to find her rhythm when it comes to the combining skiing and schoolwork daily. 

“The NSS is as good a tool as you make it,” reflected Felesky. “It’s up to you to communicate with your teachers and do your travel forms. If you’re talking to your teachers, they’re going to be supportive. They’re teachers at the NSS for a reason. I get time to do what I love—skiing and school and up until recently, piano—just because I have open communication with my teachers which allows me to do all those things.” 

As a testament to her self-motivation, discipline, and time management as an NSS student, Felesky successfully applied to last year’s six-week High School Youth Researcher Summer Program (HYRS) at the University of Calgary. 

“My project specifically was looking into the mechanisms of auditory hypersensitivity in autism patients,” articulated Felesky. “People with autism often experience everyday sounds as louder than they actually are, which can cause pain and distress. Autism is super misunderstood, and doctors really don’t know a lot about it which makes it difficult to help autism patients. My research was looking into why the auditory hypersensitivity occurs and how we can fix it.” 

Her time at the U of C solidified her desire to enroll in post-secondary engineering out East. Coupled with her love for biology, she aspires to become a prosthetics engineer. 

“What I learned at the Hotchkiss Brain Institute was that I really loved helping people that needed help,” Felesky modestly offered. “I felt like the work that I was doing really was making a difference in people’s lives. I think that’s where I found my interest working with people with autism or maybe cerebral palsy. I had the opportunity to learn about some different brain devices that help kids with cerebral palsy, and I thought that was very interesting.” 

With a résumé to rival any of her peers, it should come as no surprise that a family friend took the initiative to nominate Felesky for Top 20 Under 20 recognition. 

“I got sent a survey and I got to fill out some information about myself and why I should be named,” outlined Felesky. “I ended up getting it, which is so exciting. The only way I can describe it is truly humbling to be recognized alongside so many inspiring people who have done such incredible things and are making such an impact on Calgary and the world.” 

WinSport/NSS 30th Anniversary Celebration 

The National Sport School is unique in Canada. Since 2011, when the school relocated to Canada Olympic Park, 654 graduates have continued high-level sport, building upon the school’s legacy of success from when it first opened in 1994.  

Together with WinSport, the NSS is celebrating 30 years of excellence during a special event on May 15, 2025, at the WinSport Event Centre. The evening will be filled with memories and success stories. You can learn more about the evening and purchase tickets at the link below. 

Learn more and purchase WinSport/NSS 30th Anniversary Tickets