everyday champion: erin guzy
EVERYDAY CHAMPION: ERIN GUZY Tonight on the menu is grilled mahi-mahi, couscous with spinach, grated garlic, spices and mushrooms, with a salad. What downtown Corvallis restaurant has that on the menu? It’s not at a restaurant; it’s what Oregon State junior softball student-athlete Erin Guzy (pronounced Guh-ZEE) is preparing on a regular weeknight for a friend. A nutritious meal without a doubt, but that makes sense for this nutrition major from Beaverton, Ore. “I was raised very conscious of nutrition – my mom was a wonderful cook; we never had sugar on cereals or soda in the house.” Guzy, a Pac-10 Academic selection said. “I just carried that with me into college and the more I started cooking for myself the more I started to realize what I put in my body effected how I felt and looked, and especially how I played, and that’s what got me thinking about nutrition for a career.” For someone who spent her first two years on campus as an undecided major, this first baseman for head coach Kirk Walker has a definite goal now of what her future holds. “It’s taken me a while to find a path to what I’m going to do after sports, but the deeper I get into nutrition the more being a sports nutritionist interests me,” she said. “It would be fascinating to work with student-athletes or other high profile athletes, because I lived the life. With my athletic experiences I can help other athletes learn how to fuel their bodies.” She already is practicing what she preaches, to her teammates. “I definitely have a closer eye on what people are eating, because it affects their performance so much,” Guzy said when asked if she coaches her teammates on nutrition. “You can really tell at the end of the weekend how the performance of a student-athlete is affected, so I like to talk about it a little bit within the team, but I don’t want to be judgmental.” Beaver fans will get their first chance to check out the performance of the 2011 team at home this weekend, beginning March 19 with a Noon doubleheader against Utah State. To learn more about the amazing story of Guzy please read the following Q&A: What are some of the hot topics in nutrition right now? One of the things we are discussing now is moderating our portions and eating the right types of food. What I find interesting is trying to find healthy way to eat foods that taste good. I like finding ways that are accessible and easy for a normal person
to eat healthy. How much of a challenge is it for a studentathlete to eat properly while traveling so much? It’s a huge challenge given the amount of time that we have as student-athletes, especially on the road. An average restaurant meal is 1,000 calories, at least, so you have to be very aware of what you are putting in your body. It’s really difficult when you are pressed for time to find something healthy quick – it takes some work. What does having a scholarship mean to you? It’s amazing for me; I’d be putting myself through school. I’m going to be the first in my immediate family with a degree. It is a blessing to have my college education paid for. The scholarship has enabled me to go to a four-year school with great academic and athletic programs, and it’s amazing how many doors it has opened for me. What’s the secret behind your academic accomplishments? Organization and time management, I thrive on those things. I like to be organized; I like to write things in my planner; I like to have things color-coded for different classes. I like the feeling of getting things done academically. I think it’s essential to have great organizational skills in college or things are a lot more difficult. This has been my toughest year as I’m taking a whole series’ of anatomy and chemistry. Why did you decide to attend OSU? I chose OSU for a couple of reasons; I wanted to stay close to home and I wanted to play in the Pac10 Conference – the best league in the country for softball. I felt this program was the right fit for me. When I came on my official recruiting visit the players and coaches were very friendly. It was just a great fit; the right distance away from home. All the factors that you go through when making a big decision on where to go to college fell into place here. As an Oregonian, did anything surprise you about OSU? When I first came to OSU on a visit I thought things looked a little old, but the more I was around campus the more I loved it. I love the community. It’s awesome how the community supports the teams; the store fronts have your team posters. It’s just a great community that loves Beaver athletics, and I guess I didn’t expect that, but it was really a nice surprise. Why should people come to the stadium to watch your team? We have a young team and I feel we are starting
the season with a whole new outlook. We have renewed passion for the game and I think our results are going to be different than in recent years – it’s really exciting. You suffered a tremendous tragedy last year in the loss of your mom. How did you cope with it? My mom passed away almost one year ago. It was a difficult thing to deal with, but I felt I had the proper time to deal with the whole situation – she was sick for three years. My family had a very positive outlook on the whole situation (before her death). My mom (Rebecca) never complained one time; she’d do treatments as long as she could. She was an amazing woman. It was her strength that made the situation manageable for my family. How proud of you would she have been when you receive your diploma at commencement? Very proud. My dad will be proud of me as well, I will be the first in my family to have a college degree. Both really stressed education from when I was young, so I think this is exactly where they wanted me to be. What’s something people don’t know about you? I started playing T-Ball when I was in first grade for the T Rexs’, but my dad decided that I needed to play at a different level because I was so competitive and I would yell at the girls in the outfield who were picking flowers -- I wanted to play the game! I started playing ASA (American Softball Association) ball when I was nine and I always played on teams with players a little older than me. I played Travel Ball all the way until I was 18, playing on different teams and raising my skill level. Did you play other sports? I took dance lessons for four years, but I quit when I was told I should do ballet – I wasn’t going to wear a tutu, I was totally a tomboy in the third to fifth grade age range. Are you involved in community service? I’m a member of SAAC (Student Athlete Advisory Committee). It’s a really good program because it provides a way for the student-athletes to get involved in the community. As a student-athlete we don’t have a lot of time, but SAAC enables us to build our leadership skills and work with community leaders. As for our team, every year we wrap Christmas presents at a community outreach center for example and we have some competition within our team who can do the most community service. It has been a great experience overall.
to eat healthy. How much of a challenge is it for a studentathlete to eat properly while traveling so much? It’s a huge challenge given the amount of time that we have as student-athletes, especially on the road. An average restaurant meal is 1,000 calories, at least, so you have to be very aware of what you are putting in your body. It’s really difficult when you are pressed for time to find something healthy quick – it takes some work. What does having a scholarship mean to you? It’s amazing for me; I’d be putting myself through school. I’m going to be the first in my immediate family with a degree. It is a blessing to have my college education paid for. The scholarship has enabled me to go to a four-year school with great academic and athletic programs, and it’s amazing how many doors it has opened for me. What’s the secret behind your academic accomplishments? Organization and time management, I thrive on those things. I like to be organized; I like to write things in my planner; I like to have things color-coded for different classes. I like the feeling of getting things done academically. I think it’s essential to have great organizational skills in college or things are a lot more difficult. This has been my toughest year as I’m taking a whole series’ of anatomy and chemistry. Why did you decide to attend OSU? I chose OSU for a couple of reasons; I wanted to stay close to home and I wanted to play in the Pac10 Conference – the best league in the country for softball. I felt this program was the right fit for me. When I came on my official recruiting visit the players and coaches were very friendly. It was just a great fit; the right distance away from home. All the factors that you go through when making a big decision on where to go to college fell into place here. As an Oregonian, did anything surprise you about OSU? When I first came to OSU on a visit I thought things looked a little old, but the more I was around campus the more I loved it. I love the community. It’s awesome how the community supports the teams; the store fronts have your team posters. It’s just a great community that loves Beaver athletics, and I guess I didn’t expect that, but it was really a nice surprise. Why should people come to the stadium to watch your team? We have a young team and I feel we are starting
the season with a whole new outlook. We have renewed passion for the game and I think our results are going to be different than in recent years – it’s really exciting. You suffered a tremendous tragedy last year in the loss of your mom. How did you cope with it? My mom passed away almost one year ago. It was a difficult thing to deal with, but I felt I had the proper time to deal with the whole situation – she was sick for three years. My family had a very positive outlook on the whole situation (before her death). My mom (Rebecca) never complained one time; she’d do treatments as long as she could. She was an amazing woman. It was her strength that made the situation manageable for my family. How proud of you would she have been when you receive your diploma at commencement? Very proud. My dad will be proud of me as well, I will be the first in my family to have a college degree. Both really stressed education from when I was young, so I think this is exactly where they wanted me to be. What’s something people don’t know about you? I started playing T-Ball when I was in first grade for the T Rexs’, but my dad decided that I needed to play at a different level because I was so competitive and I would yell at the girls in the outfield who were picking flowers -- I wanted to play the game! I started playing ASA (American Softball Association) ball when I was nine and I always played on teams with players a little older than me. I played Travel Ball all the way until I was 18, playing on different teams and raising my skill level. Did you play other sports? I took dance lessons for four years, but I quit when I was told I should do ballet – I wasn’t going to wear a tutu, I was totally a tomboy in the third to fifth grade age range. Are you involved in community service? I’m a member of SAAC (Student Athlete Advisory Committee). It’s a really good program because it provides a way for the student-athletes to get involved in the community. As a student-athlete we don’t have a lot of time, but SAAC enables us to build our leadership skills and work with community leaders. As for our team, every year we wrap Christmas presents at a community outreach center for example and we have some competition within our team who can do the most community service. It has been a great experience overall.
