While working full time as a research scientist, Sophia Liu has been pursuing a highly-coveted spot for non-professionals on the Chinese Olympic Marathon Team. Last December she moved closer to reaching that goal with a top 5 finish in the 2019 Guangzhou Marathon, becoming the only Chinese non-professional athlete to qualify under the new Olympic marathon standards. However, with the postponement of the Olympic Games until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sophia’s quest for an Olympic spot is on hold for now.

Sophia fully understands that we all have to do our part to stop the spread of the coronavirus. “There are bigger issues we as a society are facing other than our own achievements. My only thought is to stay home and stay healthy.”

You can read more about Sophia’s journey in the Northwest in Motion feature, “Sophia Liu’s Olympic Quest Nears Finish.”