Table tennis stars remain humble, hard-working

St. Vital

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This article was published 09/10/2024 (686 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two Winnipeg sisters are making names for themselves in the world of international table tennis.

Alexus and Victoria Lee have both competed for Canada at international events, for Manitoba at the Canadian junior championships and at World Table Tennis events. In August, 13-year-old Alexus competed for Team Canada at the U13 Pan American championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, and came home with two bronze medals.

The girls, who live in the Dakota Crossing neighbourhood of St. Vital, said their mother loves table tennis and introduced them to the sport when they were young. They caught the bug and soon began playing competitively. They also enjoy making friends through the sport.

Victoria and Alexus both work diligently to improve. They practise six days a week, focusing on specific aspects of their games. Sport must also be balanced with schoolwork — Victoria attends St. John’s-Ravenscourt, while Alexus goes to St. Emile Catholic School.

“I think managing your time is the most important when I am doing other activities and sports outside of school,” said Victoria, who is 15. “And since I can’t drive yet, it is harder for me to go to those activities on my own, so knowing my schedule, as well as my parents’, is very important.”

While they spend plenty of time together, Alexus and Victoria have unique styles.

“I think the strategic part is my strength, but executing those strategies is something that I need to continue to work on,” Victoria said.

“My style is more aggressive,” Alexus added. “I think my strengths are when I go for all the shots and when I am just enjoying the competitive atmosphere.”

The Lees had a busy summer. In June, they competed at a World Table Tennis youth contender event in Pleasantville, N.Y., with Alexus making the semi-final in the U13 division, while Victoria did the same in U17.

In July, they flew to Laval, Que., for the Canadian junior championships, where their U15 team, which included fellow Manitoban Rhea Liu, captured a silver medal. Alexus earned another silver medal in the U13 singles competition.

“I was very excited to see all the players and see how much everyone had improved because I only see them a couple of times a year,” Alexus said. “I was looking forward to the competition and seeing my friends.

“One thing I remember was the day when we had our semi-finals and finals for the U15 team event because both of those matches lasted for around three hours. It was very tiring, but we continued to play and were happy with winning the silver medal. But we were really close to winning the gold medal.”

Alexus then headed to the Dominican Republic for the U11 and U13 Pan American tournament. where she won bronze medals in the U13 team and doubles events before finishing in the top eight in the singles competition.

“It was an interesting trip because it was so hot and humid, and the venue didn’t have (air conditioning), but it was really fun to make new friends,” Alexus said. “I really like the experience (of national and international competition) because I get to hang out with players from other provinces and make new friends. It’s very exciting. Sometimes, I feel a little nervous, so I like to listen to music when I’m waiting around for my next matches.”

Alexus hopes there are many more international matches in her future.

“My goal in table tennis is to compete in more international competitions and maybe make it to the Olympics,” she said.

Victoria said playing competitively teaches her valuable lessons.

“I’ve learned a lot about myself but also how this sport is so interesting and how there is always room for growth,” she said. “My goal is to compete in some international competitions and just continue to play table tennis because it is such a fun sport.”