A former USS athletics star is heading to Costa Rica to compete in the Pan American Youth Championships this summer.
Olivia Rhodes, 19, has been named to Western Canada’s U-20 Ultimate Frisbee Team.
The roster was announced earlier this month and Rhodes told the Westerly she was shocked to be picked considering her hometown’s relatively small population of just 2,000.
“I knew I was going to play ultimate for a while, but I never knew it was going to be this big. I was shocked to say the least. It was incredible,” she said. “It was incredible for them to choose me; just incredible…I’m so grateful for this experience.”
She added she’s been enjoying meeting her new teammates online and is excited “to play with a team that’s as competitive as I am.”
“I’m hoping that I learn so much from them. Getting to know them right now online is just incredible because they’re so good. I’m kind of nervous going into it actually just being from a small town.” she said.
“I’m just so excited to play with people at such high calibre and I’m going to learn so many things. I think it’s going to be a really great bonding experience and I’m going to make friendships that will last a lifetime…It’s going to be so cool.”
The ‘Jill-of-all-sports’ is currently attending Vancouver Island University after graduating Ucluelet Secondary School with multiple athletics accolades last year.
She said she first found her passion for ultimate frisbee when she was in Grade 10 and was looking for a new spring sport to try out just as the school was launching a new ultimate team.
“As soon as I started playing it, I knew I’d fallen in love with the sport and it was going to be a part of my life,” she said. “Playing a full game really just sparked that competitive nature that’s inside me that wanted to keep doing this and try to encourage more athletes to do it.”
She said the sport’s positive spirit was a key attraction, noting there are no referees and players call their own fouls.
“It’s just so honest of a game and the spirit’s always high…The full experience is just awesome,” she said. “I fell in love with it and the spirit of the game especially.”
She said her first year playing at USS started off challenging as the team looked to attract more players and introduce them to the sport, but those efforts paid off in full as its now a thriving addition to USS’ athletics schedule.
She added she’s experienced similar growth with her ultimate team at VIU, which was in its infancy when she joined and has since blossomed, with the team earning a spot at the national championships in Brampton Ontario and placing sixth overall last October.
She added that no matter how large the stage, in every sport she plays, she’ll always be most proud of representing her hometown of Ucluelet.
“Of course I’m representing my school and whoever I’m playing for, but it is definitely the Island overall and Ucluelet that i’m definitely proud of, especially coming from such a small place,” she said.
The Pan American Youth Championships is scheduled to take place from July 17-20, 2025, in San Jose, Costa Rica.
