A Foothills water skier has hit new heights on the international stage.
Sofia Pelkey, from the Bragg Creek area, jumped go a personal best 34.2 metres to win silver in the U17 girls jump competition at the 2024 Pan American Water Ski Championships in Bogotá, Colombia en route to a bronze medal in the overall.
Pelkey, one of five Albertans on the 20-athlete national squad in South America, was part of a Canadian podium sweep in the U17 girls jump with teammates Kate Pinsonneault and Sophie Lahaie earning gold and bronze, respectively.
In addition to the silver medal, Pelkey was fifth in the slalom event and ninth in trick and finished as the top Canadian in the overall, where she won bronze.
Pelkey contributed to two of Canada’s 13 individual medals and helped the Canadian squad bring home the U17 team silver medal from the Oct. 6-12 event.
No stranger to continental competition, Pelkey won three medals in her debut at the Pan Americans in 2022 in the U14 division.
Closer to home, she finished 17th overall at this summer’s IWWF World U17 Waterski Championships held at Predator Bay in Foothills County.
For more information, go to wswc.ca.
