Hi, I’m Sofia Lundman, and I’m excited to be part of the PlaySafe Athlete Ambassador program. I’m still early in this experience, but I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn, grow, and be part of something that supports positive sport environments.
My sport journey is a little unique because I compete as a dual athlete in both track and judo. Each sport challenges me in different ways, and together they have helped shape who I am as an athlete, teammate, and person.
I’m looking forward to sharing more of my journey, connecting with others, and learning from the people and experiences around me. As a PlaySafe Athlete Ambassador, I hope to encourage other athletes to feel supported, confident, and excited to keep pursuing their goals.
Blogs
Finding Joy, Community, and Perspective Through Sport
May, 2026
My name is Sofia Lundman and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to share my story with you. I am 14 years old and a grade 9 student at Reynolds Secondary. I was born and raised in Nanaimo with my 3 older sisters who are now 19, 23, and 25. In the summer of 2024 I moved to Victoria where I currently live. I am a judo and track & field athlete. This year, I am really excited to have the honour of being chosen as one of the Canadian sports institute playsafe athlete ambassadors.
I started track and field when I was five years old. I basically grew up at the track because two of my sisters did track and field and my mom helped coach. As soon as I was old enough to start, my mom put me in a Track Rascals program and I was off running…and jumping…and throwing! Since then, I have grown to love the sport and formed some amazing relationships with teammates and coaches. I have also been inspired by my sister, Olivia Lundman. She and Evan Dunfee, who is also her coach, competed in the mixed marathon race walk at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
My entry into Judo followed a different path. When I was in grade four I was bullied and in an extremely difficult situation at school. I felt upset and powerless and did not want to go to school anymore. I saw some videos online of girls doing judo and I decided that I wanted to do something that would make me feel that powerful and hopefully restore some of my confidence, so I started judo. Similar to how I felt about track and field, I fell in love with this too. I have had wonderful coaches and made meaningful friendships with athletes.
Sport has provided amazing opportunities to meet people and to travel places I might not go to otherwise. I really love judo and athletics but, sport isn’t always “sunshine and rainbows”. Sometimes it’s incredibly mentally and physically challenging. I have had many practices where I have felt terrific, but there have also been times where practices feel too big, too scary and too hard. Sometimes I dread judo tournament trips and am crying while trying to pack. Sometimes I question why I keep doing the hard things and don’t just quit. I know that every athlete goes through this to some degree and most think that they are alone in feeling this way. We often think something is wrong with us and we shouldn’t feel this way. As I have learned and continue to learn, we are all human and have good days and bad days. Life is hard and sport is extremely hard at times. You are never weak for reaching out for support. We need to be patient with ourselves and take breaks when needed. Mental well being is just as important as physical.
I am still early in my coaching journey, but it has quickly become a rewarding part of my life. Drawing from my own daily life as an athlete, I want to be a source of compassion and encouragement for others. I’m grateful for the chance to grow alongside my teammates and hope to be the kind of role model who supports them both as athletes and as people. I wouldn’t be able to participate in sport without the support from everyone around me. Beyond coaches, there’s family and friends, and everyone giving me rides. Fellow athletes also help you more than you would realize… from the competitor that you compete against every competition to that teammate who hugs you and tells you that they are proud of you. I have amazing memories with some of my teammates. Laughing so hard for no reason just because we were so sleep deprived. Running through the water park hand in hand after a race on an insanely hot day. Karaoke parties, barefoot cooldowns and so much more. My teammates can be my worst critics but they are also the people who have seen me in so many states, laughing, crying, smiling. I feel so lucky to have teammates who support me no matter what I’m going through.
While it isn’t always easy to form deep friendships with everyone on a team, finding those few ‘forever’ friends makes all the difference. One of the best parts of sport is that these connections don’t stop at my own team; I’ve had the chance to meet incredible people from across BC and Canada. These are friendships I never would have found without sport.
Safe participation looks different for everyone, but for me, it’s all about a culture of respect. As a PlaySafe Ambassador, I’ve been learning that true safety is about much more than just the basics; it’s built on four key pillars that protect us as whole people:
- Physical Safety: Beyond just preventing injuries or managing concussions, this is about having a space designed for everyone to train and recover properly.
- Emotional Safety: This is where we feel secure and supported enough to express our feelings and concerns without any fear of being judged or ridiculed.
- Cultural Safety: This creates an environment that truly celebrates who we are, embracing our different backgrounds and values so everyone can feel a sense of pride and belonging.
- Psychological Safety: This is about empowerment. It’s the comfort of knowing we can take risks, ask questions, and share ideas without worrying about negative consequences.
To me, safe sport means knowing your voice matters and that your team is a ‘safe zone’ for everyone. I’ve spent time thinking about these four pillars and what is important as a coach and teammate. If you’re wondering what safe participation looks like for you, PlaySafe has amazing resources to help you find that answer.
This past February, I had the incredible opportunity to share my story at the PacificSport Vancouver Island VISA event. Even though I love speaking about sport, getting up there took a lot of bravery because I still get quite nervous. Writing and delivering that speech was a challenge, but I’m so glad I pushed through. I couldn’t have done it without the amazing support and encouragement from everyone at PacificSport VI and CSIP.
I can confidently say that sport has helped shape me into the person I am today. From learning the new basic skills of a sport to getting to make an impact on younger athletes’ lives and everything in between. Every smile, every tear, every win, every loss, everything that comes with sport, has helped shape me into who I am today and I am so incredibly thankful for everything that sport has provided me.
Ambassador Socials
My social feature will be in the month of November.
That will be when I share what I have been up to as a PlaySafe Athlete Ambassador.
In the meantime, you can follow my journey here!