Mareya Valeva (UVic W Swim) Receives Sybil Verch Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame Award

Mareya Valeva, from UVic Women's Swimming, is the first recipient of the Sybil Verch Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame Award from the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame (GVSHoF) and University of Victoria Vikes Athletics and Recreation! The Sybil Verch Award is awarded to an undergraduate woman student entering UVic from a secondary school in the Greater Victoria region who competes on a Vikes Varsity team. This is the award's inaugural year.
 
Mareya is a St. Michael's University School grad and is in her first year as a Science major. She is passionate towards excelling in her contributions towards academic and athletic life, and aspires to pursue a career in medicine.
 
"Mareya doesn't believe in sitting still. As a student-athlete who had straight A's throughout high school and has reached national level swimming while also taking pre-professional classical ballet and contemporary dance, martial arts, gymnastics, piano, and violin, she says "the mere thought of settling in a comfort zone would deprive me of my identity as an individual who strives to find comfort outside of the comfort zone."
 
"She's a good student academically, and also a keen student in the pool", says Peter Vizsolyi, head coach of the Vikes Swimming program. "She's open to take advice and improvement. She wants to adapt and is already making technical and work intensity changes that will really help her excel in the long term.""

Congrats on the well-deserved achievement, Mareya!

Read the full article HERE.