Alexia Ntakos: From the Soccer Field to a 225KM Challenge

September 1, 2026

Long before Alexia Ntakos challenged herself to run 225 kilometres for cardiovascular research, she was already learning what it meant to lead, adapt and push herself on the soccer field.

In 2017, at just 12 years old, Ntakos was a standout player for the Norval Croatia under-12 girls’ soccer team. That summer, her abilities earned her an opportunity to compete on an even bigger stage.

Ntakos was one of six Ontario players selected to join six players from Quebec and form Team Red for the Canadian qualifier of the Danone Nations Cup, the world’s biggest international football tournament for children aged 10 to 12. The team travelled to Boucherville, Quebec, where they faced another Ontario-Quebec selection with a spot at the world final on the line.

Team Red won 2-1, earning a place at the Danone Nations Cup World Final at Red Bull Arena in the New York area that September, where they would compete alongside teams representing Italy, France, Spain, the United States and Brazil. Ntakos’ performance was particularly memorable. Although she was more naturally a midfielder, assistant coach Patrick Leduc — a former member of Major League Soccer’s Montreal Impact — placed her at centre-back. Rather than being discouraged by the unfamiliar position, she embraced the responsibility.

“Alexia led by example,” Leduc said at the time.

Late in the match, with Team Red trailing, Ntakos pushed forward into midfield without being instructed to do so. She took a quick free kick that created a breakaway and helped produce the equalizer. She later scored during the penalty shootout to help secure the victory. Ntakos had shown the maturity to adapt, recognize what her team needed and take initiative when the game was on the line.

A Different Kind of Challenge

That same willingness to step outside her comfort zone has followed her into adulthood.

Years later, Ntakos found herself taking on a very different kind of challenge. Instead of a soccer field, she chose the roads. Instead of competing for a place at an international tournament, she was running to support a cause deeply connected to her family.

Her father suffered a heart attack at just 49 years old, an experience that changed the way she viewed cardiovascular disease. She watched him recover and work toward returning to everyday life, while carrying a fear that has remained with her. Her grandfather later experienced severe cardiovascular complications and ultimately passed away following them. Seeing the effects of heart disease on both of them — and on the family around them — made the issue deeply personal.

225 Kilometres for a Cause

In March 2026, Ntakos turned that personal connection into action. She challenged herself to run 225 kilometres throughout the month while raising funds for cardiovascular research through the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada.

By the end of the fundraiser, she had raised $1,120 toward her $2,000 goal, reaching 56% of her target.

The challenge may have looked very different from the soccer tournament she competed in as a child, but the underlying quality was familiar: a willingness to take on something difficult and keep moving forward.

Then and Now

At 12, Ntakos was a young midfielder trusted to take on an unfamiliar role and lead her team when it mattered most. Nearly a decade later, she was once again challenging herself — this time for something much more personal.

For Ntakos, the 225KM run was ultimately about turning experiences of fear and loss into something meaningful and helping create a future where fewer families have to experience the same.