Chelsea Kennedy is justifiably proud of her athletic skill and achievements.
The 20-year-old Sault native, currently a first-year student in Sudbury’s Cambrian College Engineering Technology program, was a two-sport winner at the post-secondary institution’s athletic banquet in early April.
She was named Most Valuable Player for the school’s badminton team and Rookie of the Year in women’s soccer.
“I'm really proud of myself because I put in a lot of effort on the soccer field and on the badminton court.
"I'm very honoured to get both those awards. We had good seasons in both sports and I know I worked very hard and so did all of my teammates,” Kennedy told SooToday.
Prior to beginning her studies at Cambrian College, Kennedy excelled in high school sports at Korah Collegiate.
As a Grade 12 student, Kennedy won two City badminton championships - one for women's doubles and one for mixed doubles.
In high school soccer, she was a member of Korah’s City final-winning soccer team while in Grade 11. That team went on to win at NOSSA and made it to OFSAA.
Kennedy’s Cambrian College badminton and soccer teams participated in several tournaments in 2024-25.
Her athletic ability caught the eye of Cambrian’s athletic department officials who presented her with prestigious awards in both badminton and soccer.
“I'm very athletic and it's easy for me to transfer that ability between sports and adapt to new situations. It's always been part of who I am,” Kennedy said.
She has an equal degree of enthusiasm for both soccer and badminton.
“I like soccer because you’re using your legs to run and kick the ball, and you're playing with teammates. Badminton's different. You can play in doubles but often it’s just me. It's more of a full-body sport and you use more of your upper body and there is a lot of technique.”
She loves the challenge of badminton because it's so fast.
“You have to be able to think while also using your body at the same time to be able to get a point. You have to be thinking about what your opponent's going to do next, so you have to be thinking about what you're going to do next based on that.”
Kennedy excelled academically in her high school years.
She was enroled in the International Baccalaureate Programme offered at Korah Collegiate. The program is a demanding pre-university course of study which is recognized by universities world-wide.
Cambrian College’s three-year civil engineering technology program is equally demanding.
“I love it,” Kennedy said.
However, she stated college athletics are an essential balance to her engineering studies.
“I know I need to do that for myself. That's how I release my stress.
“I've played sports my whole life. I love physical activity so sports really mean a lot to me in a physical sense. Mentally, sports are my way to recharge and strengthen my ability to focus. I see sports as a personal challenge to become the best I can be, physically and mentally."