Last year was Katie Gorczyca's first year at ASU. She ended that year being named the USA Triathlon Women's U23 Triathlete of the Year, and this year she plans on repeating.
Gorczyca started running competitively for her school cross country team, but when she got injured, she started cross-training with swim.
Her swim coach saw the potential she had with swim and recommended she do triathlon. She did her first triathlon at the age of 13 in Las Vegas, and she fell in love with the sport.
With head coach Cliff English being brought on to the ASU program, Gorczyca saw this as a reason to transfer to ASU as a triathlete last year.
“They hired coach English as the head coach, which was a huge motivator and also the fact that I got to compete for a DI NCAA program was something really special that I’ve always wanted to do, and it just seemed like the right opportunity,” Gorczyca said.
As she progressed in her career as a triathlete, Gorczyca began to make a name for herself, setting herself apart from other athletes. In her junior year last year, she finished first in her first ever NCAA race at the Central Regional Qualifier in Naperville, Illinois.
She finished 15th at ITU U23 World Triathlon Championships in Cozumel just 11 days later.
“I’m just going to do the best that I can do because I’ve been working hard at every aspect of the sport,” Gorczyca said.
Gorczyca is setting herself apart from her competition by focusing on her recovery and nutrition. She has also been focusing on the mental aspect of the sport, which she said is particularly significant.
Her coach and her teammates see Gorczyca as a vital part of the team, which won the national title last year.
“She’s an incredibly hard worker, she’s very coachable. She communicates, she listens, she wants to do better all the time,” English said. “It’s been a great relationship to start with her, especially at ASU.”
He feels her confidence has grown which will make her even better this year. He also feels that she has improved at “rising to the occasion".
With Gorczyca being the oldest on the team, she is viewed as the role model for the new runners.
Sophomore triathlete Delaney Bucker knows Gorczyca is the one to approach when she needs help on anything related to triathlon.
“When it is time to be serious, Katie is serious,” Bucker said. “During training, she gives it her all every day. When it is time to race, she is ready ... She makes all the hours, all the sweat and the grind she puts in all worth it.”
She will race in the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final in Rotterdam this Saturday.
“It’s going to be very competitive and a high level of competition, but that’s the kind of thing that I strive for because that’s what’s going to make me better in the long run,” Gorczyca said.
Reach the reporter at cncarte1@asu.edu or follow @CCydeni on Twitter.
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