National Girls & Women in Sports Day: Kalina Ceglinski

National Girls & Women in Sports Day is widely known yearly on the primary Wednesday of February. This day is devoted to recognizing feminine athletic achievements and selling alternatives for women in sports activities.

Today, the NMU Athletics Department is celebrating women and girls, each previous and current, to honor the achievements of ladies in sports activities, acknowledge the impression of sports activities participation, and advocate for equality and inclusion for women in athletics.

MARQUETTE, Mich. — Kalina Ceglinski all the time knew that sports activities can be a pivotal a part of her life.

“I started doing gymnastics and swimming long before I can remember,” says Ceglinski, a junior from Elmhurst, Illinois, who’s presently in the midst of a very astonishing season as one of many high divers throughout all of Division II.

“Growing up, going to practice was always one of my favorite parts of the day; at times, all I wanted to do was practice. It was always important to me. Training and competition taught me how to work hard and have it pay off. I was infatuated with competition, and my drive to get better shaped me into who I am. Being able to have a space to grow and have fun outside of the normal day was amazing.”

At the forefront of that drive to work arduous and get higher rising up was one in all her favourite feminine athletes, two-time Olympian Aly Raisman. Raisman was captain of each the 2012 “Fierce Five” and 2016 “Final Five” U.S. ladies’s Olympic gymnastics groups, which received their respective staff competitions. 

At the 2012 Olympics in London, she received gold medals within the staff and ground competitions, in addition to the bronze medal on the steadiness beam, making her essentially the most embellished American gymnast on the Games. At the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, she received a gold medal within the staff occasion, making her and teammate Gabby Douglas the one Americans with back-to-back staff gold medals. She is the third-most embellished American gymnast in Olympic historical past. 

“Since I first watched her compete, one of my favorite female athletes growing up was Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman. She was always described as such a strong and powerful competitor, and I wanted to be just like her. I was drawn to the way she held herself in competition and wasn’t afraid to be herself.” 

Ceglinski is presently in her third season af a member of the Wildcats, and is main the cost for the fifth-ranked NMU ladies’s diving staff. As of the present D-II energy rankings, Ceglinski is the most effective within the nation on the 1-meter board and fifth within the 3-meter board, main the GLIAC convention in each. 

For Ceglinski, having success, being a frontrunner, and representing ladies in her sport on the collegiate degree “means everything”, however it does not cease with competitors. Being capable of have enjoyable is equally essential.

“To me, it means showing the next generation all the good that women are capable of. That we are strong, resilient, capable, and able to thrive in competitive environments. Being able to dive in college has given me the opportunity to share the sport with people who may not know a lot about it. Any opportunity that I get to spread information about diving and to show people this amazing sport is a blessing.”

“I always try to show that the whole point is to have fun! For me, having fun is the core value to success; if you’re not enjoying what you’re doing, you won’t want to work hard. Lead with a smile, work hard, and don’t be afraid to try new things.”

Ceglinski says that she has “the utmost respect” for the ladies she competes alongside, and could not be who she is in the present day with out a tight-knit neighborhood supporting one another. 

“These women are pushing themselves every single day, and what I love the most is the support. Every woman I’ve dove against or trained with has been nothing but supportive. From cheering each other on to giving us that little extra positivity, they are always there. We can lean on each other even if we’re not from the same team and help each other have fun during competition.”

Success will depend on many variables, a few of which embrace the circle of assist an athlete could or could not must be the most effective model of themselves. For most, none in that circle of assist are extra essential than their dad and mom.

“There are so many people who have helped me in my journey, but my parents have been the most important. They supported me in everything I wanted to try, and they rarely missed a competition.” 

“I thank my dad for giving me my competitive drive and for never letting me count myself out. I thank my mom for helping me take a leap of faith and commit to college athletics; without her, I truly would not be here. They have both had such a huge impact on the way I view myself through athletics.” 

“I thank them the most for believing in me when no one else did, even myself. Without them, I would not be the athlete I am today.”

That essential lesson of self-belief is what Ceglinski says National Girls and Women in Sports Day is all about.

“To me, it’s a day to inspire younger female athletes to dream big, never count themselves out, and never be afraid to try something new. As a woman, competing in sports has taught me how to have drive, be dedicated, to trust, and lead by example. Being an athlete is my biggest asset and has given me values I will live by forever.”