Inside Scoop: TISS Student Victoria Ford Named Sportsperson of the Year

Brockville – When Grade 12 Thousand Islands Secondary School (TISS) student Victoria Ford heard her name announced as the recipient of the Sportsperson of the Year Award at the Brockville and Area Sports Hall of Fame’s Kinsmen Awards Banquet, she could hardly believe it.

“I was honestly in total shock,” she said. “I did not expect that at all. I was just so happy to be nominated with other amazing athletes. It was a huge honour.”

Ford was the youngest of six nominees for the award, which included a paralympic swimmer, a Canadian kickboxing champion, a minor pro hockey player and an all-Ontario track and field champion. The award caps off an incredible final year of high school athletics for Ford, who excelled in both basketball and track and field.

Earlier in June, Ford helped lead two TISS relay teams to success at the provincial level. She earned a silver medal as part of the 4×100-metre relay team and a gold medal with the 4×400-metre relay team at the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) Track and Field Championships.

The gold-medal race was particularly memorable, as Ford ran the anchor leg in what would become the final track race of her high school career. “Coming down that last stretch, I couldn’t believe it,” she recalled. “It was such an incredible moment to cross the finish line first.”

In the fall, Ford played a key role in helping the TISS senior girls basketball team reach the OFSAA championship game, where the team narrowly missed a gold medal by just one point.

“It was an incredible experience,” she said. “I’m so proud of our team. We worked so hard to get there.” In her Grade 11 year, the TISS basketball team made a historic return to OFSAA after 20 years.

Athletics have been a major part of Ford’s life since she was a child. She began playing basketball with the Brockville Blazers in Grade 3 and credits much of her development to supportive coaches, teammates and family members. Her father, Jeff Ford, a teacher at TISS and longtime basketball coach, helped foster her love of the game.

“I grew up coming to basketball games at TISS,” said Ford. “There’s just something about the community and culture here that I’ve always loved.”

Ford has balanced a demanding sports schedule with her studies and recently completed a co-op placement with Curran Reading Corner, where she discovered a passion for speech-language pathology.

That interest will continue next year when Ford attends the University of Toronto, where she will play for the school’s basketball team while studying linguistics.

This accomplishment comes after 10 years of dedication and hard work with the Brockville Blazers, Kingston Impact, St. Lawrence Lightning, and TISS Pirates basketball teams.

As she reflects on receiving the Sportsperson of the Year Award, Ford is quick to share the credit. “Winning the award wasn’t just about me,” she said. “It represents TISS, my coaches and everyone who has supported me throughout high school. The wins, the losses, the lessons and the friendships have all helped shape who I am today. Without those people, this wouldn’t have been possible.”