At 11 years old, Sophie was diagnosed with arthritis. For much of her childhood and adolescence, the disease stole her ability to play with classmates at recess, participate in gym class and form connections. Despite these challenges, Sophie completed her first half marathon last year. It wasn’t a simple journey, and for many years no one thought this level of recovery was possible. As a child, pain in her knees was brushed off as growing pains, but was followed by pain throughout her body, which led to a year of tests. Eventually, this led to a diagnosis of psoriatic arthritis and chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis, impacting all of her joints and bones.
For the next several years, Sophie’s life was consumed by specialist visits, injections, countless medications and therapies. These interventions eventually led to her remission in 2023, but they also left her with anxiety related to her health and many lost experiences. Once she regained her health, she was determined to make up for lost time, and take back control of her body.
She began weightlifting, followed by running, cycling, and swimming, defying the odds and her own expectations: “I never thought I’d be able to do these things as a kid when I could barely walk”.
Last year, at 22 years old, she completed her first half marathon, smiling all 21 kilometres, tears of joy streaming down her face as she crossed the finish line. And, this July, she completed her first half ironman, beaming once again. And she’s not done yet. Today, Sophie is training for the 2024 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon as a member of Team Arthritis Society Canada in our first year as an official charity partner. Arthritis Society Canada is proud to welcome Sophie to the team and she is eager to see others join as well. Whether it’s to qualify for another race, try something new or raise funds for arthritis research, we can all unite for movement and community, and celebrate alongside Sophie.
Learn more about the TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon and Team Arthritis Society Canada at arthritis.ca/TWM.