If you're familiar with University of Southern Maine Athletics then you're likely familiar with the Huskies' most recent National Champion: Sophia Slovenski.  And not just because she's a two-time All-American, a Natty Champ in the javelin, school-record holder and a two-sport student-athlete (when she's not competing as a member of the track & field team she's at Hill Gym with Huskies' volleyball).  Oh, and she's a member of Huskies' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and serves as the committee's Secretary, and a CoSIDA Academic All-American. 
 
Pretty great right?  
 
Well, wait. It gets better. Sophia earned her first national championship (we're expecting big things) and the women's track & field program's first outdoor national championship dramatically. Saving her best throw for her final attempt, Sophia leapt from third to best-in-the-nation with a career-best and school-record throw of 48.21 meters (158-2) to cement her spot on top of the podium at the 2021 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field National Championship. (If it was appropriate to put this in bold type face and caps lock, we would). 
 
And you know what? All of that almost didn't happen. 
 
"Right before COVID hit, I lost sight of why I was doing track in the first place", said Sophia. "I was having a rough time with pole vault (Sophia is also an NCAA All-American in that event) and felt mentally drained. I would get so frustrated with myself when I didn't jump well. All the fun that pole vault used to bring me had turned to fear."
 
However, a few well-timed events and interactions intervened. 
 
Earlier in the year, Associate Athletic Director Kim Turner had approached Sophia about helping out with USM's National Girls and Women in Sports Day events.  After successfully volunteering and helping coordinate that event, Turner connected Sophia with Sheila Brown of the Maine Girls & Women in Sports Committee (MGWSC), and Sophia was asked to be a panelist for the event "Voices of Women in Sport: Empowering Girls for Life - A Toolbox for Middle School Athletes and Beyond." 
 
Through her participation in the MGWSC event Sophia regained her joy and foundation … Her reason why. 
 
"Coach (Rob Whitten) had tuned in to the event, and listened to what I had to say to these younger athletes," said Sophia.  "He later emailed me to ask if I was going to, 'follow my own advice?'" I knew a lot of young girls were on that call, and it got me thinking about who I look up to, and the people who inspire me to keep doing track and who helped me find the fun in athletics. By speaking through my experience with others and connecting with a younger group of aspiring athletes, I learned to shift my mindset."
 
So, working on her mental skills and mindfulness tactics, Sophia returned to competition and as they say, "The rest is history." 
 
However, like any high achieving individual, Sophia wants to do more. She's on a never-ending ascension, but this time the focus isn't on just one singular goal. 
 
"There are things I do every day that keep me focused, healthy and happy in my sport," said Sophia.  "After working with MGWSC and being involved with USM's National Girls & Women in Sport events, I realized that many of these girls haven't learned or had access to the mental strengths skills that I have had the  opportunity to make part of my routine." 
 
Knowing that USM Athletics suffers no shortage of community leaders within its student-athlete population, Sophia has been working hard behind-the-scenes to help foster and grow those connections between aspiring athletes and our Huskies.  So, in her free time (if you listen closely, you can hear every USM student-athlete chuckle) between practices, classes, SAAC responsibilities and her student-employee roles, Sophia has undertaken a hefty, but inspiring, fundraising effort to bring a chapter of Strong Girls United to Huskies' Athletics. 
 
Partnering with colleges and university around the United States, Strong Girls U provides female student-athletes with leaderships training to help them connect with and give back to the next generation of athletes in their community. Through a 6-week long empowerment program collegiate student-athletes mentor elementary school girls through physical activities and mindfulness techniques in hopes of reducing the dropout rate of girls in sports. As a study found that girls drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys by age 14 (Sabo & Veliz, 2008). 
 
 
Sophia, along with the support of Huskies' SAAC and Huskies' Student Athlete Diversity, Inclusion and Equity (SADIE) committees, are fundraising the $2000 needed to bring the Strong Girls U program to the Gorham campus.  The fund covers the cost of athlete leadership training, program coaching support, lesson plans, as well as books, shirts, and swag for all participants. Allowing elementary school girls to participate in the program at no-cost.
 
"Something that I love about Strong Girls U is that it encompasses so much more than physical activity," said Sophia.  "Strong Girls U's curriculum focuses both on sport combined with mental health and well-being activities.  These are skills I have incorporated into my daily practice and the more girls and young women who have access to these tools the better." 
 
With fundraising underway, Sophia, Huskies' SAAC and SADIE have until February 1 to meet their goal, and to join schools like Boston University, The University of Miami, Bowdoin College and Union College in giving back to their local communities by empowering girls through sport.
 
"Athletics prepare you for life," said Sophia when asked about what she hopes both the volunteers and participants in this program will receive.  "The things you face in competition, the challenges, the highs and lows, they'll mimic the events in your life. The Strong Girls U program equips participants with the mental skills and mindfulness tools needed to navigate these situations. I hope that by starting a chapter here at USM, we can positively impact the Gorham community, by encouraging and supporting young girls to be kind, mindful, and active.
 
Working towards her degree in Health Science, Sophia hopes to make this holistic approach to athletic competition part of her career.  
 
"My end goal is researching women's health in athletics," said Sophia.  "I haven't quite figured it all out yet, but I think it is a topic that is understudied and is full of potential.  The motto of Strong Girls U is 'Empowering Strong Girls for Life' and that is something I want to be a part of now and in the future." 
 
Like we said, we're expecting big things, and while Sophia already has her name in Husky record books, we are sure we will see it again for the tremendous impact she will make in the lives of young women and girls.
 
If you want to support Sophia and the Huskies in their fundraising efforts to establish community outreach program follow the Give Campus link: 
 
https://www.givecampus.com/schools/UniversityofSouthernMaine/strong-girls-u-at-usm