Buffalo freshman Kristy Woods is not your average track and field freshman athlete.
While it is true that she can toss a shot put about the length of seven men laying down end-to-end, and she can wheel around and chuck a discus over 140 feet, you have to look at the person off of the track to realize what makes Woods so special.
Woods' throwing career began rather reluctantly and somewhat late in her life in Mercer, Pa.
"I started throwing shot put and discus in middle school," Woods said. "My gym teacher kept following me and bugging me to try throwing, so I finally gave in and threw for the first time and I really loved it."
Woods kept improving on her throwing and, eventually, made it to Grove City High School. There, she achieved four letters under coach Steve Rhiel and was crowned the Pennsylvania state champion twice in the discus in 2007 and 2008 and once in the shot put in 2008. She also played in the frontcourt for the basketball team.
The transition from high school to college can be different and challenging for many, and Woods was no exception. Fortunately, she looks at these differences in a positive light that reflects her optimism.
"Collegiate track and field is different in the fact that you have better competition to push you to higher levels of improvement," Woods said. "You have better coaching and more support from a stronger team."
Woods is the type of person who will place her reasons for success on other people, but sometimes it is up to the individual's attributes to get those extra couple of feet or perfect technique. She realizes this and she has her own equation for what makes a great thrower.
"To be a great shot putter and discus tosser, you need to have talent, dedication, a passion to work hard and the will to push your body to its limits," Woods said. "I also feel that you need to have a lot of heart, and finally you need to have knowledge about the throwing events."
All of these intangibles that Woods strives for can only be reached by spending hours and hours on the field. Suffering through aches, overcoming obstacles and competing your hardest day in and day out while still maintaining school work are things that have made Woods into the athlete she is today. But even athletes who demand perfection on the field must find an outlet and escape from the game that, basically, runs their lives.
"I love spending time with my family," Woods said. "They are a big part of why I am throwing and why I am here at UB. I also like hanging out with my friends, basically I like going out and doing crazy fun stuff."
This may sound like any typical college track career - a young girl is driven to her eventual calling by a middle school coach and then dominates in high school. In the world of collegiate sports, here is where Woods separates herself from many who play college athletics.
Woods has traveled, to conduct missionary work in El Salvador. The missions have made her a modest, humble and religious woman who has learned that there is a lot more on this planet than just sports.
"This experience taught me that I am a very blessed person," Woods said. "It also showed me how blind most people are about how much suffering is going on in the world. I thought it was a big eye opener for me and if I had the opportunity to go to El Salvador again I would. I highly recommend people to go on a mission trip just to make a difference and see how truly blessed they are."
Mission work is not a credential many college students, much less athletes, can place on their resumes, but Woods did not do it for honors or accolades. She did it for a much higher presence that has inspired and blessed her time on this earth.
"My number one inspiration is God," Woods said. "If it weren't for God I would never have found the passion I have for throwing, and I always try to give him the credit and glory for everything."
While God ranks as her biggest inspiration, there are many people in her life that make her strive for greatness.
"My other inspirations are my family, friends, my teammates and [Buffalo throwing coach] Jim Garnham. I am truly blessed with a strong supporting family and friends who are always there for me."
An athlete who has been challenged by coaches and teammates. A woman who has been nurtured by friends and family, and a soul who has been blessed by God. These are the makings of a model individual that Buffalo should consider itself lucky for possessing.
