Tyler Sabapathy ’24 Commits to Temple University
Promising St. Michael’s College School (SMCS) student-athlete Tyler Sabapathy, Grade 12, is set to take his outstanding gymnastics skillset to Philadelphia’s Temple University following his graduation this June.
“In Canada, there are no universities that offer a competitive gymnastics programme, so over the past few years, I have researched and visited many U.S. universities, eventually landing on Temple,” says Sabapathy. “Many factors, including location, academic opportunities, and a strong gymnastics programme, influenced my decision.”
Sabapathy plans to pursue a bachelor of science in exercise and sport science. The four-year undergraduate degree offered through Temple’s Department of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences focuses on the science and practice of health, fitness, and sports performance.
“I decided to study exercise and sports science because of the abundance of background information on the topic provided by my training,” notes Sabapathy. “After sustaining many injuries throughout my career, I have begun to understand the human body in a new way. Throughout my training, I have learned about the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that are important for proper movement. This has persuaded me to pursue a career in exercise and sports science.”
In the gymnastics arena, Sabapathy plans to compete in five events at Temple, including floor exercise, pommel horse, vault, parallel bars, and high bar.
“Temple has an amazing training facility and a dedicated team of coaches,” says Sabapathy. “They are providing me the opportunity to compete in the events that I please and a chance to compete nationally. After meeting and connecting with the team members, I knew it was the right fit for me.”
Sabapathy grew up training and competing for East York Gymnastics Club in Toronto, crediting his mother for spending endless hours every week driving him to and from the gym to accommodate his rigorous training schedule.
“I have been training 20 hours a week for the past eight years, split up into five different gym sessions throughout the week,” he says. “During our time at the gym, we work on our skills across each event and finish with a conditioning circuit.”
With such a demanding after-school schedule, Sabapathy was unable to participate in other competitive athletics at SMCS. However, he does engage in several activities at the school, including the Common Earth Club, where he cultivates his passion for gardening and discussing environmental topics, and the Archangel Productions Club, where he develops his music production skills.
The promising student-athlete is no stranger to success and will enter Temple well-decorated, having won multiple provincial championships and over 120 medals in provincial, regional, and international competitions. He also finished fifth overall at the Atlantis Crown Invitational, an international competition in the Bahamas.
“Temple is inheriting a confident, capable, independent, and extremely impressive person and student-athlete in Tyler Sabapathy. He is a positive student with a good nature and strong work ethic that naturally motivates his peers to achieve their best,” says Sabapathy’s guidance counsellor, Kevin Shaughnessy ’00. “If there was ever to be a team composed of individuals possessing the same level of drive and determination as Tyler, there would be no limits to what they could accomplish. While achieving strong academic standing is always impressive, it is even more impressive for Tyler given the enormous time commitment and hours of training that he had to dedicate to gymnastics at the same time as maintaining his studies.”
Related links: