A team of student engineers from LaSalle's Sandwich Secondary School is heading to Texas to represent the region at one of the world's largest robotics competitions. The Sabre Bytes secured their place at the FIRST Robotics World Championship after a triumphant performance at the Ontario Provincial Championships in Niagara Falls.
Provincial Success Leads to Global Stage
The team earned the prestigious FIRST Impact Award at the provincial level, which recognizes teams that excel beyond robot performance in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). They also finished as finalists in their division, securing one of only 21 Canadian spots at the world championship. This makes them the sole team from Southwestern Ontario to advance.
Grade 12 team member Hajra Bilal expressed the team's excitement. 'We want to try and make it as far as we can,' she told the Star. For Bilal, who joined the team in her first year of high school, this qualification is a full-circle moment. The Sabre Bytes have qualified for the world championship only nine times in their 25-year history, with the last occurrence during Bilal's Grade 9 year.
Unexpected Victory
'A lot of us were expecting provincials to be our last competition,' Bilal said. 'It was such a great experience when we found out we were going to worlds. We made it as finalists in our division with our robot, and then we won the FIRST Impact Award, which automatically qualifies us for the world championships.'
The FIRST Robotics World Championship runs from April 29 to May 2 in Houston, Texas, bringing together over 6,000 secondary school students, mentors, and spectators from 29 countries. Approximately 550 teams will compete.
A Unique Experience
Bilal described the Houston event as unlike any other competition. 'You can't really describe it until you get there. A lot of people say it's like a mix between a sports game and a music concert. There's a lot of energy, a lot of excitement. You're cheering on your team, fixing things in the pits between matches, and then getting back out there again.'
The team's primary goal is to win the FIRST Impact Award on the world stage, an honor given to only one team each year. 'That's definitely our main goal going to worlds — to interview again for the Impact Award, present to the judges and hopefully qualify as finalists in that division, or even win it,' Bilal said.
Seeking Support
As the Sabre Bytes prepare for the competition, they are seeking financial support to cover travel, accommodation, and competition costs. A GoFundMe campaign has been launched with a goal of $10,000, and as of Friday morning, the team had received about $2,000 in donations. Building a robot can cost approximately $10,000 each year, and travel expenses for the 16 to 20 students expected to attend range from $1,500 to $2,000 per person.
Beyond the competition, students gain hands-on experience in engineering, problem-solving, and teamwork. The Sabre Bytes are proud to represent Southwestern Ontario on the world stage.
