The “Sport. It’s More Than A Game.” (SIMTAG) campaign was launched by Sask Sport to encourage the long-term growth and development of amateur sport in the province by using Saskatchewan stories and people. Helping to promote that message in recent years were a group of seven ambassadors, including Kyrell Sopotyk.
Since becoming an ambassador for the campaign, Sopotyk has further settled into his sporting career and transitioned from commitments as a dual-sport athlete to a member of the national men’s wheelchair basketball team.
But what hasn’t change is his passion for sport and its community.
“Sport is more than a game to me because it is community. Any sport you are a part of, everybody is welcoming and super helpful. They are willing to push you and give you any tips to help you succeed.”
It is through that community that Sopotyk was given opportunities to reach success on the international stage, including attending back-to-back major tournaments.
In July, Sopotyk joined Canada’s 3×3 men’s team in a bronze-medal performance at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
Just two months later, he was back for another global event. This time the IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships, which were even more memorable as the event was hosted on home soil in Ottawa.
“I was super excited. I didn’t know what to expect as it is only my second year on the senior men’s basketball team and my first world championships,” shared Sopotyk. “For it to be my first world championships and to do it right here in Canada, it was pretty special. We had lots of Canadian friends and family supporting us, so that was super cool to be a part of. Any time that you get to represent your country, it’s very special and something that you look forward to doing.”
Sopotyk admitted that he faced a learning curve while at the championship and used it as an opportunity to shadow the more senior athletes, including fellow Saskatchewan players Nik Goncin and Garrett Ostepchuk.
Canada finished with a 2-1 record after falling 65-79 against Poland in the knockout round and finished 13th overall.
“Our first game we had a tough match against Morocco and then we came out the second half and took the lead and ended up winning that game, so perseverance through it all. They are long games so stuff can happen and can not go your way, but we push through and learn from that.”
Now, Sopotyk looks to bring everything he gained from this tournament forward in his career, which includes his collegiate season at the University of Arizona. He states that sport continues to influence all aspects of his life and the decisions he makes.
Once the school year wraps, Sopotyk plans to return home and try out to represent the nation once again with Team Canada as the Para Pan American Games lay on the horizon.