Earlier this month, College Heights Secondary Grade 10 student Rachel Loukes was announced as one of the province's best high-school basketball athletes for next year from the north-central zone. Loukes said her success is attributed to hard work and persistence.

“My work ethic comes from all my amazing coaches that I have been fortunate to have met in my life. I always set goals for myself on and off the court, whether that's trying this new shot, or getting as many reps in as I can or physically getting to a new weight set,” said Loukes.

Growing up, Loukes played a multitude of sports including badminton, golf, soccer and volleyball.

“The beginning of high school in grade eight, I tried out for Team BC... and when I made it I was like ‘oh wow this can really take me places,'" said Loukes. She points to this as the moment she became invested in basketball as a sport, despite having talent in others.

The sport has transformed Loukes’ life beyond the competition, recognition, and accolades.

“Sports has definitely made a huge impact on my social life and being with basketball, specifically, I have been able to travel and interact with new cultures, new teams, and different styles of play and meeting new people," she said.

This year, COVID-19 created a different atmosphere for team sports. Loukes said she misses game play and travelling to play against other teams. 

But COVID-19 has allowed Loukes to work on other aspects of her game that she normally wouldn’t have had the time to focus on.

“For me it's always been trying to work on my mental aspect of my game,” said Loukes about building confidence and becoming mentally stronger during COVID-19. 

Rachel Loukes pictured center, playing alongside her CHSS teammates. Photo courtesy of Rachel Loukes.

Loukes has bright dreams for the future.

“I’ve been doing Zoom calls with Basketball Canada,” she said.

Loukes also wants to leave town to pursue her basketball goals and wants to try out for Team Canada as well. Growing up surrounded by basketball stars, including her father who played professionally in Australia, and her older sister, Hannah, who has also made a name for herself in the basketball world, Loukes feels very fortunate to have supportive role models cheering her on.

“I've always dreamt of the things they've done, and I really hope that I can be there one day as well," she said. 

Knowing how COVID-19 has changed the way team sports are and challenged player's motivation to continue on, Loukes advises other young athletes to “keep working hard and pushing yourself.” 

Listen to the full interview at CFUR-FM: