University of Waterloo students and alumni are proving they're among the best in the world as they prepare to battle for gold at the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games.

“On behalf of the University of Waterloo, I want to wish the best of luck to all of our Olympians,” says Feridun Hamdullahpur, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Waterloo. “These exceptional alumni and students head to Sochi representing the bold and dynamic spirit of their alma mater, and we are incredibly proud of them.”

Meet the competitors

Competing on the world stage is nothing new to bobsledder Heather Moyse — who graduated from Waterloo’s Kinesiology program in 2000. The Prince Edward Island native finished fourth at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy and then went on to win gold at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver.

She was inducted into the University of Waterloo's Sports Hall of Fame in 2002 and in 2010 received the University of Waterloo Faculty of Applied Health Sciences Young Alumni Award. In that same year she was named both Prince Edward Island and Ontario's Female Athlete of the Year. Watch for her in the women’s heat on Feb. 18 and the finals on Feb. 19.

This year's Olympic Games will be extra special for cross-country skier Daria Gaiazova — who graduated with a bachelor of science in 2009 — because she will be returning to her native country to compete.

Gaiazova was born in Moscow, Russia but immigrated to Canada with her family when she was 15. She currently lives in Banff, Alberta. Gaiazova participated in four events in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, finishing seventh place in the team sprint event.

Gaiazova’s events at Sochi begin Feb. 8 with the skiathlon.

Paralympic Alpine Skier Melanie Schwartz, a 2008 computer science graduate, competed in four events for Team Canada during the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver, earning her a 10th place finish in the super combined event. She transitioned to the U.S. Paralympics Alpine Skiing National Team in 2012 and is currently listed as a U.S. Paralympic athlete. Paralympic events begin March 8.

In figure skating, Waterloo science student Andrew Poje will represent Canada along with his partner Kaitlyn Weaver, who is working towards a Bachelor of Arts. Their first event is the team short ice dance on Feb. 8.

Join us in supporting our athletes

The University of Waterloo is proud to support our 5 Olympians as they make their way to Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Follow the action and send your messages to our proud Warriors by using the #SochiWarriors tag on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram!

Go Warriors, Go Canada!

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