UF student-athlete Sophia Gordon vies for Winter Olympics luge spot
Racing down a frozen track at 90 mph looked like fun to 8-year-old Sophia Gordon as she watched Olympians zip down the luge on television.
“I grew up loving roller coasters and waterslides, so the fact that it was a sport that seemed like a roller coaster or a waterslide was something that I was really drawn to,” the current UF student-athlete said about watching the 2012 Winter Olympics from her home in Sussex, Wisconsin.
Today, Gordon, a UF Online sport management bachelor’s degree student, is the one speeding down courses around the globe, hoping to qualify for the 2026 Winter Games.
Eyes on the ice
A Winter Olympic sport since 1964, luge involves athletes racing feet-first on a small sled down an icy track, using subtle body movements to steer.
An early encounter with luge's perils didn’t thaw Gordon's interest. Her older brother broke his leg trying out the sport in 2014 when the Gordon family attended a Chicago “slider search” — a recruitment event to scout the next generation of USA Luge Junior Development Team talent. Their mother paused Gordon’s luge dreams but eventually relented, and Gordon was invited to join the national development program in 2016.
Starting at age 12, Gordon committed to a rigorous winter training schedule. She traveled solo to Lake Placid, New York, for weeks at a time to develop her skills. Summers meant training on indoor tracks in chilly warehouses, and she began year-round strength and weight training. Gordon learned to maintain her reflexes as her heart rate and adrenaline spiked on the track.
“[Luge is] an ice waterslide, but you have a lot more control of the sled than most people think you do,” she said.
Gordon started competing on the youth circuit, then in international competitions in North America and Europe. Her career highlights include winning Norton Junior National Champion titles twice. In 2024, she transitioned from competing solo in the women’s singles to the women’s doubles.
While her dedication to her sport remained, Gordon began searching for a college program that matched her goals.
Finding the right online education
By her sophomore year of high school, Gordon switched to virtual school to maintain her training schedule. The move introduced her to the benefits of online learning and worked to her advantage as students across the country moved to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
After graduating from high school in 2022, Gordon took a gap year to consider her next academic step.
“I knew college was not something I wanted to miss out on,” she said.
She visited Gainesville to tour the University of Florida and, though she loved the university, she was not ready to trade luge for an on-campus education. When her research revealed that UF had a top sport management program, she applied to UF Online.
“Athletically, my big goal is to make the Winter Olympic team,” Gordon said. “Professionally, I really want to be able to manage a professional sports team (NFL or NHL) or be an athletic director.”
By choosing UF Online, Gordon has been able to build a personalized schedule, taking two to three classes each semester and fewer courses during her competitive winter season.
“I really enjoy school, so sometimes, when luge gets stressful or overwhelming, I use school as my outlet and my escape,” she said.
In the weeks leading up to the 2026 Winter Olympic games, the pressure is on as Gordon and her teammate compete for one of only 12 spots globally in the women’s doubles. As she keeps a breakneck pace on and off the track, Gordon hopes her example inspires other student-athletes to maintain their academic journey while competing.
“I want everyone to know that it is possible to do school and sport,” Gordon said. “Don’t limit yourself to opportunities, because you can get an education simultaneously while pursuing your dream.”