cus on achieving their personal best. “The only way to measure
your success is you vs. the tape measure,” she says. “You dial in
so you’re more accurate, more precise.”
Gruszecki hopes to work in sports compliance law after she
is admitted to practice. For now, she has delayed taking the bar
exam until she finds out whether she will be competing at the
Summer Olympics in Brazil. “Being healthy and happy is huge
right now,” she says.
Gruszecki will be
competing at the U.S.
Olympic Team Trials
for Track and Field
held July 1–10 in Eugene, Oregon, with the
goal of competing at
the Summer Olympics
in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, August 5–21. Send
your encouragement
to her at gruszecka.m@
gmail.com and follow
her progress at http://
clubnorthwest.org. NWL
ACHIEVING
YOUR
PERSONAL
BEST
Gonzaga Law
School Student
and U.S.
Olympic
Hopeful
Monika
Gruszecki
Law school is a time when many people find it a strug- gle to balance their fitness routines with school, work, relationship, and family. Not so for recent Gonzaga Law School graduate Monika Gruszecki, a javelin thrower who has been training intensively for the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Team trials in July while simultaneously earning her law degree. Gruszecki, who was also the comments editor of the Gonzaga Law Review, credits her javelin training routine with helping her get through law school. In her 1L year, her training routine was a
stress reliever that helped her tackle the competition and uncertainty of law school. “Throwing balanced me out,” she says. As
the semesters progressed, the javelin was something she did on
the side to maintain balance. She trained three hours a day — for
two 1. 5 hour sessions — and followed a restrictive diet with no
alcohol. All the while, she was focused on staying organized and
enjoying her sport.
For legal professionals who struggle to maintain a fitness
routine with their busy schedules, Gruszecki says, “People
want to be fit, but they forget that it’s about fun.” She advises
that busy people interested in achieving their fitness goals
should seek out camaraderie with a sport or activity they enjoy.
“Find something you enjoy doing, with people you enjoy being
around,” she suggests.
Gruszecki recently spent her spring break with other top
competitors at the Olympic Training Facility in Chula Vista,
California, where she said the athletes work to maintain a positive attitude. “We know that this is hard work, but we’re smiling
the whole time,” she says. The Olympic contenders keep their fo-
by Linda Jenkins
LINDA JENKINS is the NWLawyer editor and can be reached
at nwlawyer@wsba.org.
PHO TO ABOVE COUR TESY OF MICHAEL CLINE; MIKE@U2WED.COM
I
N
S
E T
P
H
O
T
O
C
O
U
R T
E
S Y
O
F
J
O
H
N
S
L
AV
I
N
;
J
O
H
N
S
L
AV
I
N
P
H
O T
O
.
CO
M
;
LU
C
K
Y
NJ
O
H
N
.
B
LO
GS
P
O
T. C
O
M
