Focused Athlete: Sophie Francis

AGE: 27 years old

HOMETOWN: Port St. Lucie, Florida

TEAM: N/A

RACE #: 911

SERIES COMPETING: For the 2024 season, I will be competing in the Triple Crown World Series which will take place in Poland, Lake Havasu, and Thailand. I will also compete in the AJSA Championship, P1 Aqua X and the IJSBA World Finals.

HOBBIES: I train 5 days per week, 2 times a day doing CrossFit. Training at a high-level pushes me that much more, especially when it comes to racing. The classes I race usually have a full line up of men so being that much stronger keeps me up on the podium.

FAVORITE TRACK OR PLACE TO RIDE: My favorite place to ride is Lake Havasu, Arizona. That is the place where I won my first ever world title at the age of 12. And since then, I’ve won many more there. It holds the most memories for sure!

WHAT AGE DID YOU START RIDING / HOW DID YOU GET STARTED? I started riding at 7 years old. My cousin invited us one weekend to a local lake to have some fun and ride some jet skis. After the weekend, I was hooked. Me and my older brother persuaded our parents to buy a jet ski after loving it so much. After riding for a year, I was then approached by the local lake owner. They told my parents that if they sign me up to race, they would sponsor me for the weekend. I won my very first race at the age of 9 and became British Champion by the end of my first season. I then went on to become a European and a World Champion as a junior. Since then, I have never looked back.

WORD OF ADVICE TO ANYONE WANTING TO RIDE: The most important thing about riding is having fun. Once you ride, you’ll have the biggest smile on your face!

HOW IT IS TO BE A PART OF THE FLY FAMILY: Being a part of the FLY family is the best thing ever. FLY has supported me from the very beginning. They have always been there for me. FLY is seriously the BEST family! I love every item that FLY sells. My all-time favorite would have to be the Formula Carbon helmets because of how they look and how light they are. I also love how you can color match your whole outfit. Not only do FLY keep you safe on the water, they also keep you looking good at all times! My favorite memory with FLY would have to be when Rich Kumm saw me win my first ever PRO world title in the men’s class. Having him there supporting me was amazing and a memory I’ll never forget.