Daniels Faculty graduate Donna Vakalis will complete in the Modern Pentathlon at the olympics this Sunday, August 12. The Modern Pentathlon includes fencing, swimming, horse-riding, shooting, and running. The entire competition is staged over a single day.

As Vakalis told U of T News, she was introduced to the pentathlon at a young age, but quit training in high school to focus on her studies. "While working on my master’s I needed an escape from the long hours working and realized that I missed participating in sports and competing in general," said Vakalis. "So in 2006 I went to the Pentathlon Nationals and found success; now I’m just trying to see how far I can take myself."

Because the Pentathlon is a fairly unknown, athletes in this event receive no government funding. Vakalis has started a fundraising campaign on her website, where people can help pay for expenses.

Qualifying for the Olympics isn't the only thing Vakalis has achieved since receiving her master's degree in architecture from the Daniels Faculty. This fall she will start her PhD in Civil Engineering at U of T.

Read a Q&A with Vakalis on the U of T News website.