Get to know Sophie Saquet, a dual-sport, dual-phase athlete who participated in Alpine Ski and Badminton at the 2026 Manitoba Winter Games powered by Manitoba Hydro.
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Tell me about yourself!

I’m fourteen, from Neepawa, and I competed in skiing and badminton.

What led to you competing in two different sports?

Badminton I kinda wanted to just try and I ended up making it, and skiing, I’ve been doing skiing for a while now.

In your opinion, what is a pro and con of each sport?

A pro of skiing, I just really like the sport, like, it’s so fun, and I like how its competed. But the con is it’s so cold all the time, like I have to be outside. A pro for badminton would be, I like the people I play with. Everybody’s so fun and the sport’s just so fun and I love meeting all the new people. A con would be probably how good I am, it’s been put a little bit into perspective, to go against, like, the Winnipeg kids.

You have competed in two very different facilities, which one has been your favourite and why?

I kinda like both. The badminton is very new tome, I don’t do badminton competitively. But skiing is just something I knew, and I knew the people around me. Badminton I’m meeting all new people, it’s just a new experience, Skiing was kinda the same.

What lessons have you learned over your time spent here?

 I just learned to be nice to everybody, I’m just trying to have the best time and enjoy the experience as I go along.

Do you play any other sports other than badminton and alpine skiing?

 In school I play basketball and volleyball and I do softball. I was also in the summer games for cycling.

What has been your highlight of the games?

The people, again, and I really liked travelling to Thompson, and its just so many new things. I liked all the new things we gotto try and my coaches and stuff like that.

Describe your week in four words

Fun, exciting, brand-new, and cold.

You’ve been here since the beginning, what is the first thing you’re going to do when you get home?

Take a shower and then go to bed, the cots are starting to get hard.

Anything else you’d like to say?

I’m just having such a fun time, I’m so happy to be here!