Being a skilled rower earned Kamile Kralikaite ’24 B.A. (IR) an athletic scholarship to Syracuse University, where she helped the Orange women’s rowing team claim the first Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) championship in school history.

Her proficiencies on the water also earned Kralikaite the opportunity of a lifetime representing Lithuania in the women’s pair competition at the upcoming Summer Olympics in Paris, France.

But there was a time not that long ago, before Kralikaite came to the United States, when she wanted to abandon her rowing career. Recruited by a local coach when she was just 13 years old because she was tall and athletic, Kralikaite left her family and friends to begin a three-year training project focused on qualifying for the 2018 Youth Olympics.

While Kralikaite enjoyed the sport, her entire life revolved around rowing, and she experienced burnout from the arduous training sessions with no days off. Then came the decision that helped turn things around for Kralikaite: enrolling at Syracuse University as an international relations major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and College of Arts and Sciences.

Once on campus, Kralikaite discovered that she was so much more than a talented rower. She formed tight friendships with her fellow student-athletes and coaches and rediscovered her love of rowing. Kralikaite credits her coach, Luke McGee, with helping her heal and find a healthy balance between rowing and her personal life.

“I will forever be happy and grateful for my experiences at Syracuse University. I met so many cool people that supported me and helped me reach my goals,” says Kralikaite, a 2024 All-American, three-time All-ACC First Team selection and two-time All-ACC Academic Team honoree. “It was incredible how much we were able to achieve. Winning the ACC championship for the first time in school history was amazing. Everyone was selfless and wanted the same goal and worked tirelessly to help our team achieve success. It was the best experience.”

Kralikaite, who hails from the tiny central Lithuanian city of Kaisiadorys (population: 8,334) will vie for a gold medal in Paris after she and her partner, Ieva Adomaviciute, finished 10th at the 2023 World Rowing Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, last September. The top 11 boats qualified for the Olympics.

The women’s pair competition begins on July 28, with the semifinals on July 31 and the final on Aug. 2.

“Our goal is to qualify for the A final, which would be huge. Right now, we’re producing some good speed from our boat, and we feel good. You wish for the gold, but as long we give it our absolute best against the world’s best, I know we’ll do well,” says Kralikaite, who along with Orange teammate Martyna Kazlauskaite, won the 2023 U23 World Championship in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

Before she takes center stage with the world’s best rowers, Kralikaite sat down with SU News to discuss how she’s preparing for the Olympics, the thrill she feels representing Lithuania and how her time on campus fueled her holistic development.

Read the full article via the SU News website.

By John Boccacino