Q & A with WIAA Division I State Diving Champion Kathryn Kleczka, DSHA '22

9/21/2021

From the 2020-2021 school year Word Magazine, published in summer 2021.
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GMC Diver of the Year Kathryn Kleczka, DSHA ‘22, won the WIAA Diving Sectional and took first place in the WIAA State Diving Championship with a score of 423.95. She is the first diver in DSHA history to win state.

Q: You are the WIAA Division I Diving State Champion. What does your success — and title — mean to you?

A: To me the success of being the WIAA Division I Diving State champion means that hard work truly does pay off. It was not easy to get into the pool every day after a long day of school, but I always pushed myself to make the most of my practices by keeping my goals in sight and my mindset healthy throughout the whole season. To see that pay off was very rewarding.

Q: Who inspires you to succeed?

A: My success as a diver has a lot to do with my amazing coach (Head Diving Coach Herman Acevedo) and my loving family. My coach has taught me many life lessons and helped me fix my mentality so I could put less pressure on myself to always be perfect and focus more on the experience of it all. My parents have been supporting me through every step of my diving career and I am so thankful. I also must thank my brother who introduced me to the sport, showed me the ropes, and inspired me to push myself. He is one of my best friends and I am grateful that we can share a passion for diving.

Q: How did your team rally behind you while at state?

A: While my team could not be a state due to the pandemic, they still showed their support for me. They sent me an outpouring of text messages and I know they were watching and cheering me on from afar. It was a great feeling knowing my sisters had my back.

Q: This year was difficult due to COVID-19. What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?

A: I faced many struggles over the season. At the beginning of the season, I had to quarantine and miss out on practice and competitions. I also quarantined before the state meet so I could compete. It was hard for me mentally because I was lonely during that time. However, I kept reminding myself that giving myself the best chance of succeeding at state was worth the temporary loneliness.

Q: How has your faith made an impact on your diving career?

A: My faith helps me to trust. Before every meet the team prays together, and I learn to trust that God will keep me and my competition safe. Coach Acevedo has a very strong connection with his faith and I have strengthened my faith as a result of looking up to him as my mentor.

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