Bloom Where You're Planted

PHILADELPHIA - Temple Gymnastics' upcoming Quad Meet with Southeast Missouri State, Cornell, and Ithaca College on Sunday, Jan. 28 bears particular significance for junior co-captain Breahna Wiczkowski. The meet, which serves as this season's Military Appreciation Day, also combines two of Wiczkowski's passions - leading her team to victory and serving her country.

In addition to being a full-time student and a gymnastics team co-captain, Wiczkowski is also involved with Temple ROTC and will fulfill an eight-year commitment with the United States Military after graduating next spring.

The University's participation in honoring veterans and active service military is understandably significant to Wiczkowski. "I love it," she said. "I love that we are able to have military appreciation days. It means so much to me. I think that any time we get to recognize those people who make the sacrifices that they do, it's always nice to show that we really respect everything that they do and what they have gone through."

Wiczkowski's interest in the armed forces began in high school, when her older brother Marc started to ponder a military career. "My brother went through a military phase, and he's always been one of my role models. So as I saw him go through the phase, I started looking into it more. He kind of opened my eyes to it, but I've always had appreciation for our veterans because I know if they didn't do what they did, then I wouldn't have the opportunities that I have today."

However, as her gymnastics career advanced, she put her pursuit of a military career on a brief hold until a chance encounter on campus during her sophomore year at Temple. "Ever since I was a sophomore in high school I was thinking about the military, and then as I kind of progressed with gymnastics and college gymnastics became more of a focus, I didn't think so much about it," said Wiczkowski. "And then honestly just by happenstance, I was walking through Temple Fest after a preseason workout one day and I saw the ROTC stand and got some information on it and decided to do it."

Adding ROTC commitments to her already busy schedule with gymnastics responsibilities and her heavy course load - she is currently pursuing a degree in psychology with two minors in social work and cognitive neuroscience - has made managing her time and social life a challenge. Wiczkowski starts each day with an hour of ROTC Physical Training at 6:30 a.m., followed by an hour of strength training for gymnastics at 7:45 a.m., class at 9:00 a.m., practice at 2:00 p.m., and evening classes after that.

"In season it's hard to have a social life because every weekend we're gone traveling, but that's the same with everyone on the team - your team becomes your social life," she said. "My friends understand my commitments, and they're really supportive. I think having a support system like that that's really in the know about what you do is really, really vital to being able to manage your time."

To advance her military training, Wiczkowski spends her summers at Fort Knox, a United States Army post in Kentucky, undergoing rigorous training in the field and classroom. In addition to the tactical training and general army education she receives there, she has also learned some valuable life lessons that help guide her through her hectic schedule. "I've learned to just let things happen, because things don't always work out how you want but you have to deal with it anyway."

One quote she learned at Fort Knox that really stuck with her - enough for her to write it down in her notebook and revisit it often - is "bloom where you're planted." To her it means that no matter what situation you're in, you should and will thrive in it, you just have to adapt to it.

Wiczkowski, who set a career high beam score of 9.925 in a meet with Cornell last year, hopes to add the floor exercise to her arsenal this season. "I've always been really passionate about doing floor, I really want to be able to get out there a couple more times," she said. "Though, I always appreciate being a part of any lineup and know that if I'm there, I just need to do my job and that's always my intention every weekend and every practice, to do what I'm capable of."

Wiczkowski has done just that - adapted to her growing list of responsibilities and thrived in each role she's taken on, and certainly has done what she's capable of and more.

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Bloom Where You're Planted

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Breahna Wiczkowski

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