When Tereza Babicka left her home of České Budějovice, Czech Republic, she was stepping into the unknown.
Her journey to Colorado State has been one of athletic and personal growth — both on and off the track. From the warmth of her team’s support to the facilities at CSU, Babicka found a place where she could pursue both her passion for track and field and her rigorous academic goals.
“Coming to (the) U.S. and having the school and track was so helpful because I can’t imagine having such good conditions back home,” Babicka said. “And the team is awesome, very supportive. So (having track) definitely helped me a lot to adjust here and have the best time possible.”
“My dream job is to work with some artificial organs. That’s why I picked the combination of biomedical and mechanical engineering.” -Tereza Babicka, heptathlete
The international student-athlete quickly found herself immersed in a group of people with a shared understanding of the challenges that accompany balancing athletics and academics. As one of several international athletes, Babicka embraced the opportunity to learn about other cultures while discussing the common struggles they face.
“I really like our little group of student-athletes that are international, and that’s always really nice to see other players and talk a little bit about the culture differences,” Babicka said. “And it’s (a) very supportive place, and we always know who we can reach out to.”
One of the ways to Babicka connects with her coaches and teammates is by sharing traditions from back home. During the holidays, Babicka brought a piece of Czech culture to the team by baking Christmas cookies for her coaches. It was a small gesture, but it reflected her desire to give back and feel part of the community.
“That’s actually one of the gifts I gave coaches for Christmas,” Babicka said. “I bake Czech Christmas cookies and then give it to our staff, and they’ve loved it, so that always makes me super happy to share some of my traditions.”
Despite being thousands of miles from home, Babicka said she rarely feels isolated. Her family’s support remains unwavering, but it’s the close-knit community at CSU that makes her feel grounded — even during challenging times.
“I’ve always felt very included,” Babicka said. “(I) never had troubles finding help and support, which is awesome because being here on my own is sometimes very challenging and can be hard when I’m homesick. But yeah, (there are) definitely a lot of good people around me.”
Babicka’s ambition has certainly benefited from this support.
Her dual degree path in biomedical and mechanical engineering is no easy feat, especially with the added demands of being a student-athlete. Through discipline and time management, however, she’s been able to balance both fields, demonstrating resilience in the face of her busy schedule.
“It’s been definitely challenging, (the) dual degree that I’ve picked, even just without a sport,” Babicka said. “I’m sure it wouldn’t be much easier. It just makes it harder because I cannot spend as much time as I need to. … So just prioritizing the most important things at a time, and then I go from there.”
Babicka’s transfer to CSU was a deliberate decision to balance her academic and athletic ambitions. The school offered the perfect combination of strong engineering programs and a competitive track and field team.
Looking to the future, Babicka is eager to use her engineering expertise in a way that will positively impact athletes and their recovery — possibly even by creating artificial organs and prosthetics to improve lives.
“My dream job is to work with some artificial organs,” Babicka said. “That’s why I picked the combination of biomedical and mechanical engineering. But I would also love to work (on) maybe some sports medicine or, like, technology, and that could help athletes recover after some surgeries.”
Her aspirations don’t end there.
Babicka is drawn to the technology used in recovery, including devices like electro-stimulation machines that help athletes recover after strenuous training. She won’t limit herself, though, as the field of prosthetics also interests her.
Through her experiences, Babicka learned how to adapt to challenging conditions. Whether it was adjusting to weather differences or competing under new circumstances, each competition taught her valuable lessons that she now applies to her career at CSU.
“It helped just (to learn) how to compete in different conditions, different weather or even just prior to the start of some events,” Babicka said. “So it’s really helpful to get that experience of competing under conditions that can be unpleasant to (an) athlete (while) still doing great.”
At CSU, Babicka has found a new support system among her teammates, classmates and coaches. They’ve been there through both the ups and the downs, helping her navigate the stress of balancing a tough academic load with the intensity of athletic commitments.
Coach Marshall Ackley, who has worked with Babicka since his hiring at CSU last year, praised her work ethic and growth.
“Tereza was one of the first people who I talked to when I got to campus,” Ackley said. “My job is challenging but also easy at the same time. Don’t mess up, right? Help her develop; get her stronger; get her faster. And I feel like we’ve worked really well.”
Babicka’s immediate goal is to finish her season with a personal record at the Mountain West championship and contribute the maximum points to her team. But she’s simultaneously focused on the long-term goal of becoming a better athlete and pursuing excellence in her academics.
“I would definitely love to finish with some PR at the Mountain West championship and get the most points for the team,” Babicka said. “Hopefully (I can) celebrate with the team again … (when) we repeat (a championship). That would be awesome for (the outdoor season), just to get better and shoot for excellence.”
As she continues her academic and athletic journeys, Babicka knows the support system she has built at CSU will stay with her long after graduation. Whether she pursues track professionally or focuses on her engineering career, she will always carry the lessons she’s learned from being a student-athlete.
Reach Michael Hovey at sports@collegian.com or on Twitter @michaelfhovey.
