By Daniel Noble
CRAWFORDSBURN’S Sofia Chambers has battled epilepsy to take her hockey journey to the next level, captaining Ulster U-16s at the Scottish National Series in Glasgow.
Fourteen-year-old Sofia has been playing hockey since the age of two, displaying her talents for local club Ards, but she suffered a setback when she began to suffer from seizures back in January of last year.
An official epilepsy diagnosis followed two months later, and medication was prescribed to combat the condition.
Although early struggles with the medication resulted in bouts of fatigue, consultants’ assessments have now advised that she has adjusted to it as she has grown, with Sofia now 18 months seizure-free.
The Strathearn School student continues to experience exhaustion, which often causes her to have to go to bed early and even miss training, as she becomes tried more easily than most teenagers.
However, that has not stopped her from starring on the field, recently advancing through a series of Ulster Hockey trails to not only earn selection for the Scottish Series, but also receive the responsibility of captaining the side.
Sofia was first drafted into the Ulster U-15 Regional Development Programme in October, after being nominated by her school, passing the first round of provincial squad selections.
A player-of-the-tournament performance followed at the Ulster Festival, which secured progression to the team which played Connaught, Leinster and Munster at the National Festival.
From there, the full U-16 panel was announced for the trip to Glasgow, where they contested matches with the Scotland U-16 national team.
As captain, Sofia led the squad into the first match of the three-game series, and suffice to say she passed the leadership test with flying colours.
Ulster got off to an ideal start, winning the first game 4-3, and while they lost the second clash 4-2 and drew the third 2-2, they reigned supreme in the series-deciding run-ins, ultimately clinching the title.
Speaking after the tournament, Sofia’s mum, Sophie, a PE teacher at Glenlola Collegiate, was bursting with pride for her daughter’s achievements and what she has come through to get there.
“I’m delighted for her,” she said. “Myself and her dad are both PE teachers, so she’s always been sporty and she never really had a choice, but she’s done it in her own way.
“She hasn’t let epilepsy stop her and has shown you can still perform to a high level in spite of adversity.
“The fact that she’s been picked as captain, despite playing with girls who are a year older, is a brilliant achievement and a testament to her talent and character. She’s a bit of a boss on the pitch.”
Sofia holds two main goals, both in a professional and a sporting sense, but Sophie explained how they were not always the case.
“She has two ambitions for the future, one of which is to become a doctor, while the other is to play hockey for Ireland,” she added.
“She previously played tennis for Ireland, but she gave up to focus on hockey, and she was always afraid of needles, but since her diagnosis, she has wanted to become a doctor.”
Representing the national team may be something the young Crawfordsburn star is dreaming of, but for now, she will focus on Ulster, next taking to the field for the Hockey Ireland U-16 Interprovincial Tournament from 26th-28th August.
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