Kayla Gronkowski played six sports in high school.
Teresa Kalinay photo | Special to the Times Leader
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To Kayla Gronkowski, being a multisport athlete is part of her DNA, even if triathlon was as not on her radar until after her athletic career was assumed to be over.
Gronkowski, a Nanticoke native, played six sports during her time at high school: field hockey, cross country, basketball, swimming, softball and track. She was recruited to play Division 1 field hockey at Lock Haven University. Gronkowski finished her NCAA sporting career at Wilkes University as part of the Colonels field hockey and swim team. She also presumed this meant the end of her time as an athlete.
“I had the mindset that that there was nothing after college sports,” Gronkowski said.
Thankfully, her final swim season at Wilkes University allowed her to cross paths with the local triathlon community.
“The triathlon swim group trains at the same pool (CYC) I used to swim at for Wilkes,” Gronkowski Said. “I bumped into them one early morning before work, after my time with Wilkes swimming was done, and started training with them. Less than a couple months later I signed up for my first race.”
Not only would this first race be Gronkowski’s entry into the world of triathlon, but her reentry into the world of fitness.
Gronkowski’s final field hockey season at Wilkes University ended with an ACL injury that sidelined her. While still able to swim for the Colonels, her scheduled surgery for the injury shortened that season as well. Disappointed in the way her college career ended, Gronkowski saw her time as an athlete fading with nothing she could do to stop it.
Triathlon provided a way for Gronkowski to reclaim this identity. She found routine in training plans and the thrill of assessing herself in races. Her injury kept her to aqua-bike races (only competing in the swim and bike portions of full triathlon races), but she was motivated to reclaim her power as a runner.
The road to recovery was not easy for Gronkowski. Numerous rehab appointments and the mental strain of the recovery were challenging. Her supportive family, the Northeastern Pennsylvania triathlon community, and the athlete mindset she so strongly embraces got her back to the local starting line of her new sport. Then, it landed her at the National Championships for Olympic distance triathlon in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Gronkowski sees that moment as a high point in her triathlon career.
“Race bib in hand, standing in Milwaukee, three years after I was barely even walking the right way,” Gronkowski said. “ I was just so thankful to be here, in this kind of moment again.”
For many athletes, race day is the culmination of months or years of training, and naturally is filled with nerves or anxious thoughts. Not for Gronkowski.
“The stressful part is training,” Gronkowski said. “Race day is the most calming day for me, and I love how mentally freeing it is to compete.”
Gronkowski’s calm energy will no doubt aid her this year as she takes on the Lake George Half-Ironman, her first attempt at the 70.3 distance (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run). She also has her sights set on a full distance Ironman.
“I want to safely build up and feel really strong,” Gronkowski said.
Her injury and subsequent recovery have shown Gronkowski the importance of training smart and not ignoring injuries or overtraining. While her NCAA career always had a ticking clock to it, triathlon is for the long run.
“This is a sport for longevity and health,” Gronkowski said. “I’m here for the long haul and hope to be competing well into my 60s like so many of the great athletes I get to train with.”
She is often the youngest member of group rides or triathlon meet ups in NEPA, and Gronkowski hopes the revival of the Back Mountain Triathlon brings more former college athletes to the sport. She has been influential in the race’s planning committee, serving as social media manager and engaging members of the community in supporting the Triathlon. Gronkowski is always willing to lend a hand, or a pair of goggles, if it means you’ll join her on the next group swim.
There are always one or two races solidified on Gronkowski’s calendar, but she also likes to keep her season spontaneous. It’s a guarantee to find her wrapping up the endurance season in Berwick with the Run for the Diamonds. She has completed the race 10 times, and plans to continue as long as possible.
Athletics beyond college, or even high school, are rarely considered an option for many students. Early injuries in athletic careers make competitive prospects even more grim. Gronkowski’s story of multisport success in high school and college, battling through recovery, and thriving in a new world of triathlon and endurance sport is inspirational.
The end of your athletic story only comes when you decide it will. Triathlon has made Gronkowski’s decision simple – as long as safely possible.