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Former United States Olympian Sonja Fitts-Walters, one of the country’s pioneers in the hammer throw, enters her tenth season as an assistant coach at RIT in 2018-19. She works primarily with RIT’s throwers.

Fitts-Walters is one of the finest hammer throwers in U.S. Track and Field history. She placed first at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1992, and won the bronze medal at the 1995 Pan-American games. Fitts-Walters represented her country at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain.

At one point, Fitts-Walters held the World, United States, and Collegiate records in the hammer throw.  She won the U.S. Indoor Championship in the weight throw five straight years, from 1991-95, while taking first four straight times at the prestigious Penn Relays.  In addition, Fitts-Walters earned several Big East Conference and ECAC accolades.

Prior to RIT, Fitts-Walters served as an assistant coach at Syracuse University, coaching both the men's and women's throwers.

A native of Rochester, N.Y., Fitts-Walters earned a bachelor's degree in computer science and Certification in athletic administration from St. John's University. While at St. John’s, Fitts-Walters won 12 BIG EAST Championship individual titles for shot put, weight throw, and hammer throw.
 
RIT’s men’s track and field coaching staff has earned three Liberty League Coaching Staff of the Year honors since joining in 2011-12, while the women’s staff was honored in 2017.
 
Fitts-Walters is a contract worker for Entre Computer Services at Iberdrola.  She lives in West Henrietta with her husband, Lamont Walters, and son, Zayden.