Feature by Shawn Moran - Sun Devil Athletics Feature Writer
TEMPE, Ariz. -- After suffering a brutal wrist injury in a competition last October, Arizona State triathlete Katie Gorczyca was ruled out for the remainder of the season just one race before the national championship.
"When I crashed, I looked down at my wrist and I thought, 'Well, shoot. That's it for me,' " Gorczyca said. "My bone was clearly sticking out of place and I was in so much pain."
Yet here she is, less than 12 months removed from her devastating injury and three years after arriving in Tempe, ready to add one more championship to her resume before graduation.
This school year, she already has competed in the FISU World University Championships in Kalmar, Sweden, representing the United States, and will be in Watauga, Tennessee, on Sunday for the first of three regional qualifiers.
Since triathlon was introduced as a Division I program in 2015, the Sun Devils have won national championships in each of their first two seasons. A large part of that is due to the senior leadership of Gorczyca, who also serves as team captain.
It hasn't always been easy.
After suffering her wrist injury in the Eastern Regional Qualifier in Sarasota, Florida, and flying back to Tempe in extreme pain, Gorczyca underwent surgery that involved inserting a plate and nine screws into her wrist two days later. Although she would not be able to compete for the remainder of the season, Gorczyca and the coaching staff still found a way for her to stay involved and around the team.
"That was important, and that was something that I wanted as well -- to make sure she was engaged and not back at home sitting in her apartment and really feeling bummed," coach Cliff English said. "She became like an assistant coach basically and she was really supportive of the girls. That was awesome."
Team co-captain and best friend Charlotte Ahrens added, "Even if she couldn't compete, she was with the team and she helped us in the mental part or in the preparation. So, she was still a part of the team, just not on the race day next to us."
Growing up in Las Vegas, the 2010 Nevada cross country Gatorade Player of the Year and two-time individual state champion discovered her love for running and fitness at an early age.
"When I was younger and had no direction, I would do a lot of pointless training that I thought was fun," she said. "I would ride my bike around my neighborhood multiple times and I would join my swim team and I would do their workouts. Then, I would run with either my middle school team or at soccer practice."
When she was 13, Gorczyca was rehabbing from an injury she sustained while running when her coach suggested that she try competing in a triathlon once she was healthy. Being a successful young runner, and after showing serious potential as a swimmer, there was only one portion of the race that would require more of the all-around athlete's attention.
"I got a bike, did a triathlon and absolutely loved it," Gorczyca said. "It was such a great feeling and I had so much fun that I just knew I had to keep doing more of them."
In high school, Gorczyca enjoyed practicing with the boys in order to set high goals for herself while also preparing for the tougher competition she would face when racing athletes from across the nation and even the globe. When it came time to make a decision about her future after high school, Gorczyca was uncertain what would come next.
"When I was deciding on colleges, I knew I wanted to do triathlon, but I also knew that at the time it wasn't an NCAA sport," Gorczyca said.
Triathlon would not become an NCAA sport for another two years. In that time, Gorczyca took advantage of an opportunity that not many American athletes will ever get to try. After an extremely successful high school career, Gorczyca was able to train with the top athletes in the nation at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, while attending the Colorado Springs Elite Triathlon Academy.
"The opportunity that the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs gave me was one that I couldn't pass up because I was able to train as a triathlete and still go to school," Gorczyca said. "I didn't necessarily get a lot of scholarship money, but it was worth a lot more to me than that. Being able to train with Olympians and be surrounded by them, it was such a good experience."
That opportunity also helped English decide who one of the first athletes he wanted on his inaugural team was. English, who has coached Olympians and other star triathletes, knows that Gorczyca has a determination for success that matches that of those on the national team.
"She's still just one of those people that is driven, her goals are pretty clear to her, she's going to keep driving and stay after it and she's very similar to a lot of men and women that I have coached that have gone on to the Olympic Games," English said. "Katie is awesome to have on a team because she really leads by example that way and I think it's quite infectious that she's first on deck, first in the water, and you need that. So, having someone that leads with not even being aware that they're leading is really nice."
After arriving in Tempe in 2016, Gorczyca quickly hit off a friendship with the German-born Ahrens. The duo finished their first ever ASU triathlon in the first two spots on the podium at the Central Regional Qualifier in Naperville, Illinois. Although they compete against and push each other in practice and on race day, the two-time national champions and co-captains enjoy their time together outside of competing as well.
"Katie is also a wonderful friend," Ahrens said. "I think that lots of teammates are competitive and Katie is as well, but I can definitely say that Katie is one of my best friends here. Sometimes she has a good day, sometimes I have a good day. It's a balance. We also have fun besides practice. We go to the movies, we've gone to Sedona together as friends and I feel like that helps also in a race because we know each other that well."
Heading into the remainder of the season, Gorczyca is focused on helping her team defend its national title while also knocking off the rust she had accumulated from her injury. Earlier this month, Gorczyca finished 26th at the World University Championships in Sweden. Even after competing against elite-level triathletes from around the world, Gorczyca left Sweden disappointed but prepared to take on the remainder of the NCAA season.
"That wasn't a great race for me," Gorczyca said. "I wasn't happy with it, but as far as the experience goes, I gained experience and it was beautiful. I loved being there. It got rid of some cobwebs. I'm ready for the last couple races of the season now."
And apparently more after graduation, too.
"I love it," she said. "So I'm going to do it as long as I can."
TEMPE, Ariz. -- After suffering a brutal wrist injury in a competition last October, Arizona State triathlete Katie Gorczyca was ruled out for the remainder of the season just one race before the national championship.
"When I crashed, I looked down at my wrist and I thought, 'Well, shoot. That's it for me,' " Gorczyca said. "My bone was clearly sticking out of place and I was in so much pain."
Yet here she is, less than 12 months removed from her devastating injury and three years after arriving in Tempe, ready to add one more championship to her resume before graduation.
This school year, she already has competed in the FISU World University Championships in Kalmar, Sweden, representing the United States, and will be in Watauga, Tennessee, on Sunday for the first of three regional qualifiers.
Since triathlon was introduced as a Division I program in 2015, the Sun Devils have won national championships in each of their first two seasons. A large part of that is due to the senior leadership of Gorczyca, who also serves as team captain.
It hasn't always been easy.
After suffering her wrist injury in the Eastern Regional Qualifier in Sarasota, Florida, and flying back to Tempe in extreme pain, Gorczyca underwent surgery that involved inserting a plate and nine screws into her wrist two days later. Although she would not be able to compete for the remainder of the season, Gorczyca and the coaching staff still found a way for her to stay involved and around the team.
"That was important, and that was something that I wanted as well -- to make sure she was engaged and not back at home sitting in her apartment and really feeling bummed," coach Cliff English said. "She became like an assistant coach basically and she was really supportive of the girls. That was awesome."
Team co-captain and best friend Charlotte Ahrens added, "Even if she couldn't compete, she was with the team and she helped us in the mental part or in the preparation. So, she was still a part of the team, just not on the race day next to us."
Growing up in Las Vegas, the 2010 Nevada cross country Gatorade Player of the Year and two-time individual state champion discovered her love for running and fitness at an early age.
"When I was younger and had no direction, I would do a lot of pointless training that I thought was fun," she said. "I would ride my bike around my neighborhood multiple times and I would join my swim team and I would do their workouts. Then, I would run with either my middle school team or at soccer practice."
When she was 13, Gorczyca was rehabbing from an injury she sustained while running when her coach suggested that she try competing in a triathlon once she was healthy. Being a successful young runner, and after showing serious potential as a swimmer, there was only one portion of the race that would require more of the all-around athlete's attention.
"I got a bike, did a triathlon and absolutely loved it," Gorczyca said. "It was such a great feeling and I had so much fun that I just knew I had to keep doing more of them."
In high school, Gorczyca enjoyed practicing with the boys in order to set high goals for herself while also preparing for the tougher competition she would face when racing athletes from across the nation and even the globe. When it came time to make a decision about her future after high school, Gorczyca was uncertain what would come next.
"When I was deciding on colleges, I knew I wanted to do triathlon, but I also knew that at the time it wasn't an NCAA sport," Gorczyca said.
Triathlon would not become an NCAA sport for another two years. In that time, Gorczyca took advantage of an opportunity that not many American athletes will ever get to try. After an extremely successful high school career, Gorczyca was able to train with the top athletes in the nation at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, while attending the Colorado Springs Elite Triathlon Academy.
"The opportunity that the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs gave me was one that I couldn't pass up because I was able to train as a triathlete and still go to school," Gorczyca said. "I didn't necessarily get a lot of scholarship money, but it was worth a lot more to me than that. Being able to train with Olympians and be surrounded by them, it was such a good experience."
That opportunity also helped English decide who one of the first athletes he wanted on his inaugural team was. English, who has coached Olympians and other star triathletes, knows that Gorczyca has a determination for success that matches that of those on the national team.
"She's still just one of those people that is driven, her goals are pretty clear to her, she's going to keep driving and stay after it and she's very similar to a lot of men and women that I have coached that have gone on to the Olympic Games," English said. "Katie is awesome to have on a team because she really leads by example that way and I think it's quite infectious that she's first on deck, first in the water, and you need that. So, having someone that leads with not even being aware that they're leading is really nice."
After arriving in Tempe in 2016, Gorczyca quickly hit off a friendship with the German-born Ahrens. The duo finished their first ever ASU triathlon in the first two spots on the podium at the Central Regional Qualifier in Naperville, Illinois. Although they compete against and push each other in practice and on race day, the two-time national champions and co-captains enjoy their time together outside of competing as well.
"Katie is also a wonderful friend," Ahrens said. "I think that lots of teammates are competitive and Katie is as well, but I can definitely say that Katie is one of my best friends here. Sometimes she has a good day, sometimes I have a good day. It's a balance. We also have fun besides practice. We go to the movies, we've gone to Sedona together as friends and I feel like that helps also in a race because we know each other that well."
Heading into the remainder of the season, Gorczyca is focused on helping her team defend its national title while also knocking off the rust she had accumulated from her injury. Earlier this month, Gorczyca finished 26th at the World University Championships in Sweden. Even after competing against elite-level triathletes from around the world, Gorczyca left Sweden disappointed but prepared to take on the remainder of the NCAA season.
"That wasn't a great race for me," Gorczyca said. "I wasn't happy with it, but as far as the experience goes, I gained experience and it was beautiful. I loved being there. It got rid of some cobwebs. I'm ready for the last couple races of the season now."
And apparently more after graduation, too.
"I love it," she said. "So I'm going to do it as long as I can."