For Sangmuk Choi, varsity sports have always been a platform for getting involved in his community.
鈥淭he Athletics Department and Varsity Council do a fantastic job of organizing a lot of events 鈥� fundraising and charity events 鈥� that allow athletes to get involved,鈥� says the Tigers soccer player and fifth-year Kinesiology student.
鈥淚 was always interested in getting involved with that stuff, because otherwise I wouldn鈥檛 have had the opportunity to represent my school, and give back to my community thus I really can't thank them enough for that now that I'm graduating.鈥�
Sangmuk, one of 80 Tigers student-athletes recognized as Academic All-Canadians this week, was also this season鈥檚 recipient of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Community Service award for men鈥檚 soccer.
Throughout his involvement with the soccer team at AV俱乐部, he described he was very fortunate to be part of a number of events with a great cause, such as helping to organize the international student soccer tournament and playing in the annual charity exhibition soccer game between AV俱乐部 and a big town-rival SMU which always is an exciting one. He also helps out with the Special Tigers event put out by the Varsity Council, bringing together children with intellectual disabilities and student-athletes to participate in sports.
Then there鈥檚 what Sangmuk calls his 鈥減ersonal volunteering.鈥� 鈥淚 volunteer at a physio clinic because I鈥檓 in Kinesiology and I want to go into physiotherapy, and also at a cardio rehab centre鈥� assisting the patients and the nurses who work there鈥�.
It鈥檚 a lot for the dean鈥檚 list student to manage, but he pulls it off. 鈥淚 try to have my schedules planned weekly so I know where I need to be at certain times.鈥� His schedule during the season includes four classes a day, practice every evening, and then time with friends or homework. Despite this demanding schedule, Sangmuk remains pleasant, upbeat, calm and personable.
In the long term, Sangmuk says he would like to pursue 鈥渁 career in helping people鈥� and plans to do this by putting his Kinesiology degree to work. He says he would love to practice physiotherapy in his home city of Charlottetown, PEI 鈥斅燾ontinuing to contribute to his community.
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