“I could go on forever about them and what a difference their tireless support has made” – Sophia Diaz had told College Gym News back in December 2023. Thanks to her parents’ backing, Sophia would go on to earn a 5-star scholarship at Michigan. But the journey has only started for the 18-year-old. In her freshman year, she has already won 6 event titles, which include three on vault, two on uneven bars, and one on floor. And that’s not all.

The youngster has been adjudged the 2025 Big Ten Gymnast to Watch, thanks to her spectacular start with Michigan, which saw her hit 9.900 scores on vault and floor. And she scored 9.900 4 times on the uneven bars. The potential she is showing is bound to see her end up on the USA team. But let’s not speculate. Meanwhile, let’s get to know Sophia’s “rockstar” parents.

Who is Sophia Diaz’s Father?

Sophia’s father is Alberto Diaz. Sophia being such a fabulous athlete, is probably a bit attributed to her father’s genes. How so? Well, to say Alberto Diaz was a good tennis player in his college days would be an understatement. Playing for Washington College, he became the team’s most valuable player twice and even captained the tennis team in his senior year. Playing both singles and doubles, he earned All-America honors twice in singles and once in doubles.

Alberto Diaz, or “Bert” or “Berto”, as he is popularly called, won the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) singles championship in 1991. Then, in 1992, the doubles team of Diaz and Andrew Moffatt won the MAC doubles title. Safe to say, we are talking about an athlete who could easily rival Sophia in ability. And he loves that Sophia has inherited his energy and intensity. Talking to the Washington Post in February 2024, he recalled, “She’s always been energetic, full of life and daring.” He even remembered Sophia saying, “That looks like a lot of fun” when she first saw US gymnastics legend Aly Raisman on TV, performing at the 2012 Olympics. It was the start of a dream. Soon, Sophia would go on to enroll in a gymnastics class.

Sophia’s father got his master’s degree in business administration in 1977 from Thunderbird, The School of International Management, in Glendale, Arizona. We don’t exactly know what Alberto Diaz is doing currently, but he has been the director of global coal trading with Électricité de France. Washington College inducted him into the Athletic Hall of Fame on 10th October 2009.

As far as influence goes, Sophia Diaz has had her father help her in her athletic journey. But in terms of academics, we have to say she went in her mother’s trodden path.

Who is Sophia’s mother?

Sophia’s mother is Dr. Nadia Hansel, the Director of the Department of Medicine (DOM) at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She is also the Physician-in-Chief of The Johns Hopkins Hospital and Director of Medicine for Johns Hopkins Medicine. Following in her mother’s footsteps, Sophia wants to pursue medicine too in the future. Speaking to Michigan University, the gymnast said, “I had always wanted to attend an institution with an excellent academic program that would prepare me for a successful career in medicine…”

We are sure the 18-year-old will have all the right circumstances to become like her mother, who graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1997. She specializes in pulmonology, getting her fellowship in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine from John Hopkins University in 2004. Her career also saw her spend many years as a professor of medicine and in research.

Sophia is like a perfect copy of her parents – taking after her father’s athletic background and wanting to be a doctor like her mother.

What is Sophia Diaz’s Parents’ nationality?

Although Sophia herself is an American citizen, we probably cannot say the same about her parents. Alberto Diaz is actually from the Dominican Republic who came to America as a teenager with a dream. Meanwhile, Nadia Hansel is originally from Haiti and Germany. After meeting in San Francisco, they moved to Maryland and currently reside in Baltimore with their 3 children, Andreas, Natalie, and Sophia.