A Daily Dose of Perspective with Polish Olympian Kasia Wilk

One of the best parts of being a blogger is having an outlet to brag about all your cool and super talented friends.

This is another opportunity for me to do so! Everyone meet Kasia Wilk, our fourth featured person on A Daily Dose of Perspective and our second Olympic swimmer!

Kasia and I met during my first year at USC, in an awful general education class we both had to complete for our major. To be even more specific that class was an 8 A.M, so naturally Kasia, Diana (another USC swimmer) and I all had to sit through a rough morning together every Tuesday/Thursday. Hey, at least we had each other! Haha.

One of the reasons I wanted to feature Kasia on my blog is to educate people about the life of a student athlete and to give you a different perspective by letting you into their world. Most people think collegiate athletes have it made. But little do they know about the 7 days a week practices, 6 AM weights/swims and the list goes on and on.

One of the more fascinating things about Kasia is thats she not just a student athlete, she's also a 2-time Polish Olympian. RAD, right?! She represented Poland (where she hails from) at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics as well as at a host of other international meets. At the 2012 Olympics in London, she was a bronze medalist on Poland's 200-meter medley relay at the 2011 European Short Course Championships and was a semifinalist in the 50m and 100m free at the 2010 European Championships.

She also represented Poland at the 2009 World Championships in the 50m free and at the 2009 European Short Course Championships in the 200m free relay and the 100m free. Wilk recently won a 2012 Polish long course title in the 100m free for the eight year in a row. She was third in the 50 for the second year in a row after winning it in 2010, the same year she also claimed the 200m free.

Kasia is a strong sprint freestyler who has shown great individual scoring ability while lending a strong hand on relays. She is a six-time All-American on relays.

Plus, she's also like the nicest girl on the planet. Whoever says you can't have it all clearly didn't meet Kasia.

Let's let you hear it from her....

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

My name is Kasia Wilk, I'm 23 years old and I am from Krakow, Poland. Some of my hobbies include listening to music and traveling. I am a Senior at USC and a Psychology major.

What made you want to swim at USC?

USC’s got the whole package: Academics and the elite swimming team. The team and the coaches at USC are all crazy talented. Athletic facilities are incredible, and the resources the University has for student-athletes are fantastic.

What is your biggest accomplishment in your sport?

The highest accomplishment that I have achieved was to represent my country at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. Also, wining 100 freestyle for the eight years in a row at the Polish Nationals.

What one or two things do you currently do in your training that are keys to your success?

I try every day to learn from all the people around me, both coaches and athletes. Your sport has to be an enjoyable experience. I tell myself to have fun with everything I am doing and to enjoy the process — enjoy every time I am with the teammates, whether we’re working really hard or having a good time.

What would be your ultimate achievement thus far in your collegiate career?

Winning a NCAA Championship

How do you set your goals?

In order to keep myself motivated I set small, more attainable goals – first for each key training session, then for each race, and finally for each season. Of course I have met some of my goals more quickly that I thought I would and others have taken a little longer. The goals are really just the guide.

How do you determine success/failure as a collegiate athlete?

Every moment you’re trying to prove yourself that is success.

What is your biggest challenge, and what do you do to manage this challenge?

My biggest challenge would be not swimming for myself, but rather for other people. I try to enjoy every moment spent in the pool and don’t overthink.

What was the best advice you were ever given?

Swim for you, and for no one else.

Do you have a saying or motto that you live your life by?

"Do what you love and love what you do."

Name a professional athlete you’d like to have dinner with and why.

I would love to have dinner with Michael Jordan. He is a true inspiration to me because of the way he went about carrying himself as a winner.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?

I draw my inspiration from everywhere and everyone I meet. I am encouraged to try harder when I see people getting better. I am inspired by my family for the support I receive. My family inspires me to dig deeper and bring out the best in myself.

What was the biggest sacrifice you have had to make in your life to get you to where you are now?

Give up time spent with my family and friends for time spent in the pool. There are trade-offs in life and I know I can’t have everything.

Anything additional advice you’d like to share with aspiring Division 1 athletes.

My best advice for aspiring Division 1 athletes is to enjoy the journey by building the goals. Find someone who can help keep you focused. It can be a bit overwhelming at first, but teammates can help you. I feel incredibly lucky to be part of my team! We have a team of fun, amazing, and incredibly hard working people. My teammates get me out of bed in the morning and push me to new limits.

As Kasia said, one of the hardest things about being a collegiate athlete is getting caught up and overwhelmed - but remember as crazy as it feels, College doesn't last forever and while moments like that may seem huge you will always be able to get through them. The way you get through them is by continuing to analyze, push, and set goals for yourself.

You are capable of more than you think! Go show the world!

As for you Kasia, I know well be seeing you swimming in the Rio Olympics in 2016. And I'll be cheering Poland over USA, lol.

Xoxo,

Natalie