Priya Cooper / Asst. Sports Editor

International Women’s Day is on March 8, and the USD Vista is highlighting some of our female athletes, sharing their stories about their victories, challenges and evolving roles in the athletic world.

USD sophomore Stella Smith, who runs for both track and field and cross country, mentioned that celebrating her teammates and the work that they accomplish is a huge part of the sport.

“I feel we celebrate each other through our competitions, everyone is always cheering for each other and providing that extra motivation. If it’s not just for the coach, but it’s also your teammates, even though you’re competing with them, and it helps you just feel really good about yourself and your races and knowing that you have that extra support system,” Smith explained.

As more women find success in various professional sports, they become role models for young girls who aspire to follow in their footsteps.

USD first-year basketball player Lauren McCall explained how being a female in sports is powerful and key to her image and goals as an athlete.

“Being a woman in sports is everything to me,” McCall said. “Growing up, there were not many prominent female athletes to follow, and I wanted to make sure the generations and teammates behind me had that from me. I would and still do make sure younger female athletes get the recognition they deserve.” 

Representation has been a difficult challenge in the past, but today the world is much more inclusive on the front of athletics. However, there are still challenges associated with being a female athlete. 

“I think the biggest challenge I faced being a woman in sports was hearing that I would never be able to compete as a male did,” McCall said “Growing up playing multiple sports, I was surrounded by males at all times and while they were amazing, they also pushed me to compete at the level they did, which is why I’m at the level I am today.” 

Smith spoke about the challenges that she faces. 

“I think it can be really hard to be a female athlete, especially in college, because of the demands it has on your body. I think that taking care of your body normally is hard enough. And then adding the whole component of running 30 to 40 miles a week and having school workouts, you have to take care of yourself a lot more than you’re used to, when you compete in college athletics,” Smith added. 

There are still struggles female athletes face that are often overlooked, such as stereotypes and mental health concerns. Smith also touched on how mental health is secondary at times in the athletic world. 

“I think advocating for mental health in college athletes is super important, since it is so overlooked. We shouldn’t feel embarrassed to go and get support for what we’re going through, just because we’re athletes,” Smith asserted. 

“It’s not a sign of weakness, but it’s more of taking care of yourself in the right ways to continue to be successful in our sport.” 

Despite tough times, Smith explained that all the female athletes on campus should be and are very proud of all that they have done for their teams and themselves. 

“I am proud of myself and accomplished, when I say that I’m a female athlete in college just because of how much it takes to do that and the sacrifices you have to make. I also think it’s hard to not compare yourself to other people on the team, because it’s an individual sport, but you also have this whole team supporting you,” Smith stated. 

International Women’s Day is a moment to honor the women, including female athletes, who have dedicated so much time to their sport to become the best version of themselves they can possibly be.

Smith is proud to be a member of the USD cross country and track teams.  Emma-Kate Squires/The USD Vista