Sude Terek '19 Recruiting Profile

If there is something I learned from doing gymnastics for two years and playing volleyball for nine, and hopefully more years, is that nothing will be voluntarily given to me in life, I must work for what I want, in order to get it. That is that simple.

         From the earliest memories that I can recall, I find myself into sports, whether volleyball or something else. Coming from an athletic family, I have been surrounded by any kind of sports my entire life. Although the reason I started gymnastics and then volleyball can be regarded to my parents, they had no force on me to make me fall in love with these sports. Starting my journey with gymnastics taught me the ideal athlete profile and discipline, gave me elasticity and filled my spare time with something that I liked to do. It did not last long though, since my height did not let me as I grew up. I was thinking like my whole life ended in a second, until I met with volleyball. The moment I walked in the court, I knew a completely different life was waiting for me. And I was right. Maybe it is going to sound cliché, but it’s true: my whole life changed when I started volleyball. And at some point, I found myself at a period of my life where I made my choices depending on volleyball.

I would not like this to be misunderstood, my athletic life was not always perfect. In contrast, it affected my social life and all my emotions in a very risky age. Every day, waking up earlier than my school hours and going for long runs and practices while everybody else was asleep, and having another practice after school; not being able to start my homework when I came back home from school like the other kids did, and completing them on my way to practices; not having time to socialize and go out with my friends; coming home at late hours being exhausted mentally, with a sore body, and more and more consequences, gave me so much pain, both physically and mentally. But somehow, I could not quit. It was nothing about my parents or anything else, but myself. Being a part of a team and knowing that

I began to see volleyball as a part of me and I was more than ready to adapt and shape my life around the challenges it brought. I believe that is what made me an athlete.