Dana Point resident Sophie Scott will be fulfilling her runner’s journey dream this Sunday, Nov. 2, when she competes in the TCS New York City Marathon, also known as the largest marathon in the world.
Growing up, Scott loved participating in sports including dance, soccer and track, but being born deaf made those experiences challenging. After she received cochlear implants, Scott gained new opportunities, including running in the New York City Marathon.
Scott, now 30, previously lived in Colorado and Massachusetts, but she wanted a change in scenery, so she moved to California and fell in love with Dana Point.
“I moved to Dana Point with my boyfriend, and we absolutely love it,” Scott said. “We live right behind a running trail, actually, and it goes right to the beach, and that’s been my favorite thing to do. I wanted to be close to the ocean.
“Dana Point gives me that, what I feel like is true California — that you have the beaches, you have the cliffs, you have all the greenery, the rolling hills and mountains, and then also seeing the community just out and about walking, very relaxed. Even though it’s a big city, it still feels small somehow.”
Scott participated in the LA Marathon in 2024 and 2025, and now with the NYC Marathon approaching, she is nervous, yet excited.
“New York would be my third marathon,” Scott said. “I’ve obviously heard about it, you know it being one of the biggest marathons with like 55,000 participants; it’s gonna be the most fun marathon and it’s gonna be in the best city.”
When Scott moved to Southern California, she decided to choose a sport to pursue. She chose running as a form of fitness, but never thought she would pursue marathon running.
“I started my marathon journey maybe a year and a half ago, but before that, I was running very casually. I did half-marathons, but then I took it more seriously,” Scott said. “I remember I would get sick after running because I was not following the rules — eating carbs, taking electrolytes, that kind of stuff — but I also did track in high school. I was a sprinter in high school. I never did any long-distance running. I hated long distance back then, so it’s just so funny to see me here today.”
Scott is also a part of Team Inspire, which is a diverse group of 26 athletes. The team embodies the spirit, heart and energy of New York City, with each athlete profoundly embodied by the transformative power of running.
“Being a part of Team Inspire means showing up as a deaf runner, breaking down barriers and inspiring others to step forward,” Scott said.
Inspired by the Boston Marathon, she discovered the freedom of running — a sport in which she didn’t feel limited. As far as inspiration, Scott hopes to inspire others to do what they’re capable of despite the challenges.
“I would say it’s more like always constantly trying to prove to myself what I’m capable of, to prove to the deaf community, show parents of deaf children what we are capable of,” Scott said. “Other young people have inspired me to keep pushing, so I have to think about all the people that brought me here today — my family, my audiologist, my surgeon, all of those people that have shaped me (into) who I am today.
“They inspire me to run this to the best of my ability, and they inspire me to try to get a better deaf representation. Trying to slowly show what we’re capable of, the barriers that we’ve gone through, that’s my biggest inspiration.”
Scott said to those scared or nervous about starting, just start; you’ll never know what you’re capable of until you start.
“Have a positive mind, positive outlook on it and just get out there, just take that first step of getting out there; don’t doubt yourself until you’ve done that and allow yourself to take that first step and see where it takes you,” Scott said. “I feel like that’s the most surprising part of it. You surprise yourself a lot and, you know, I feel like that can apply to so many things. Not just running.”