For Zi Yang Wang, the thought of competing as a Varsity Blue might not have been one of the first ones that crossed her mind. 

With no formal organized basketball in her background, pursuing high performance sport was not a top priority. She enjoyed the game recreationally as another activity to go along with her fitness-focused lifestyle, but her scholastic pursuits took precedence when she first arrived on campus at the University of Toronto to complete her undergraduate degree in pharmacology.  

Following graduation, Wang took time to reflect, to travel, spend time with family, and figure things out. This helped in a decision-making process which would bring her back to U of T via PhD studies in molecular genetics. 

"It was definitely a tough decision. At one point I felt lost in the sea of possibilities," described Wang of her post-undergraduate journey. "During a gap year, I ended up volunteering in a lab, and that experience sparked a genuine passion for scientific research. When I received my acceptance, I was overjoyed. The thought of working alongside world-renowned researchers and learning from mentors and colleagues was thrilling. But I was also scared – scared of the unknown, of the difficulty ahead, and of whether I would be able to keep up." 

Wang has overcome those initial fears and has excelled in her research. But with a gentle reminder from a parent, she made another choice that would push her pursuits beyond just one passion. After reacclimating herself to the rigors of academic research and always having a love for the game of basketball, she made the decision to pursue becoming a Varsity Blue. 

"Before my father passed away, he reminded me to focus on the things that truly matter to me – that stuck with me," said Wang. "I decided to try out for the Varsity Blues women's basketball team during the later years of my PhD and spent about a year preparing and building up conditioning. Tryouts were nerve-wracking, but I tried not to overthink it. Despite my lack of experience, Coach Dee [Dianna Ros] and Coach Kali [Kalina Alexander-Renaud] took a chance on me and I'll always be grateful for that." 

The list of requirements that come with completing a PhD at one of the top ranked universities in the world is a long one: focus, organization, diligence…the list goes on-and-on. These traits were not unfamiliar to Wang though as they worked to balance not only her academics, but her pursuit of varsity athletics.  

"A lot of the skills I learned from my time being a graduate student transfer pretty well to being a student-athlete. Time management, discipline, grit, motivation. Once I overcame the initial shock to the system, it just became about adapting and finding a routine that works. And it helps a ton to have amazing supportive coaches and teammates, and a partner who is there to help me live out a dream." 

Wang appeared in all 20 regular season contests during the Varsity Blues 2024-25 campaign, averaging a team-high seven rebounds per game, while also ranking in the Top 10 in the province in total offensive rebounds. Although the start of her varsity athletics career has come later in her post-secondary journey, it all came back to the love of the game. 

"Even though I never had the chance to play organized basketball growing up, I have always loved the game. It's therapy – being alone on an empty court before the world wakes up, the simple joy of putting the ball through the net over and over again. It never gets old." 

Even more impressive, while others may have thought being a PhD student-athlete would be enough, Wang has continued to strive for even more.  

"I've been actively involved in our graduate student association and served as president over the past year. I've also developed a fitness app called Arki that turns working out into a team sport. I've been lifting for years and found it to be a lonely journey sometimes, so I wanted to bring the camaraderie and competitive spirit of team sports into personal fitness, while making the tracking more fun and engaging." 

A leader and inspiration for her teammates, Wang is a prime case of leadership by example. With all she has been able to accomplish as a true walk-on, she is able to offer up the wisdom of choice ahead of her second season this coming fall. 

"Just go for it," said Wang. "I'm still afraid of failure, but if there is one thing I have learned, it's how to keep getting back up over and over again. When choosing a path, you might as well make it one that you genuinely enjoy. And when failure comes knocking, well it's just another day."