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Women's Track
An International Track and Field Athlete's Story of Taking Chances
Jan. 25, 2005 Cedar Falls - By Katie Kenne It's hard for some people to step out of their comfort zone when it comes to trying something different, but for one woman it was just a stones throw away. Ivana Barsic is a twenty-one year old shot-putter at the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) from Zabresic, Croatia. However, throwing shot put wasn't something she planned on, but was more a genetic predisposition. "I've always been a bigger, muscular girl, and that's the first thing people see," Barsic said. Her high school track coach even said that she was built for shot put and she should go out for the team. "That's how I found out about shot put." Barsic added.
Her coach was right because two years after joining the high school team Barsic joined the Croatian National Team and competed in the World Championship in Jamaica. "I would have never been able to travel to so many places if it wasn't for shot putting," said Barsic.
Her next move in traveling would be a much bigger leap. Barsic was now deciding where to attend college. With a track and field connection at UNI she felt a bit more comfortable to give it a try. "I love adventure," Barsic said, and what more of an adventure than to leave your security of home. She leaped right out of her comfort zone and in one month she received her passport, visa, and passed the ACT. "The hardest thing was leaving my family," Barsic said. "But we talk on the phone every other day and I go home each summer and Christmas." At first Barsic's mother thought it was something she did wrong to make her daughter want to leave, but the experience her daughter was getting changed her mind. Even though Barsic has left her family in Croatia while here, she has gained a new family in her teammates. She is not the alone dealing with leaving her family. There are 10 other international athletes on the roster for men and women's track and field that have done the same. "The international athletes add a unique flavor to our track and field team and the university," says Assistant Coach Field Events, Travis Geopfert. "It's an amazing thing to bring athletes from different countries together." The other international athletes are: Alex Alva, Ontario; Samuel Dodoo, Ghana; Mary Egbo-Egbo, Ontario; Mark Harris, Canada; Kivioja Jamo, Finland; Yana Kruglikova, Kazakhstan; Pam Kyeremateng, Ghana; Yuriy Litvinski, Bulgaria; Andre Poljanec, Slovenia; and Kyle Smith, Canada. Barsic is looking forward to graduation, but is unsure if she is ready to leave America and go back home to Croatia. |
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