CHESAPEAKE, Va. — “Everything’s fast. Everything we do is fast. Nothing’s really slowed down,” explained Grassfield sprinter Sophie Rambo. “Track has definitely brought me a lot of joy and stability because I don’t know where I would be without it. It’s a part of my everyday life.”
Rambo is just a sophomore, and her resume already speaks for itself: four individual state titles in two years including a recent PR at the Class 6 state indoor championship that had even stunned her.
“Well, when I crossed the finish line I looked over and I saw the clock, like, as I was running towards the finish line and then I looked back and saw my time and I was kind of surprised. I really didn’t think I would do that.”
Earlier this year at the VA Showcase, the nation’s largest high school track meet, Rambo finished third in the 300 meters and won the 500 meters. Her times of 38.99 and 1:13:56 in each event are the fastest in the state this season.
But you wouldn’t be surprised when you stumble on her social media and see the endless hours, she spends training for a sport that she believes is often overlooked.
“I don’t think track and field gets all the recognition it deserves and just showing that online gives everybody an example of what that looks like,” she explained. “Sports like football and stuff get a lot of recognition and people are always talking about that but track on the other hand is just there and no one really acknowledges it.”
What’s even more rewarding than the medals and PR’s, is the feedback she receives from younger athletes who have reached out to her from her posts.
“I definitely get questions on training and tips and stuff, and I just love answering them because I want to help people.”
Rambo intends to follow a career path that will allow her to do the same.
“I just feel like with physical therapy because I’m an athlete I could really help other athletes get recovery.”
But until then, Rambo intends to add a few more things to her resume.
“There’s many things I still want to accomplish,” she said. “I want to win nationals and go to U20 and do very well in that.”
