Olympian in the Classroom

When Kseniya Sadouskaya, ’25, watches this year’s Summer Olympics (now through August 11), she cannot help but get a little emotional. That’s because Sadouskaya knows exactly what it feels like to experience the pinnacle of sports competitions, featuring the world’s top athletes, having competed herself as a speed skater for Belarus in the 2018 Winter Olympics.

“I remember watching the opening ceremony as a kid and being moved to tears because it was my dream to be there one day,” she says. “Now, when I watch the games, I still get emotional—not because I was able to achieve my dream, but because I can empathize with the athletes and now have a greater understanding and appreciation for their journey.”

Sadouskaya, a master’s student in Seattle University’s Kinesiology program, grew up in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. At age 12 she went to live with her grandmother in Vitebsk, a small town three hours away, which happened to have an ice rink nearby.

Encouraged by her grandmother, Sadouskaya headed to the rink to try figure skating, but was told she was too old to begin training for competition. Disappointed, she walked away, but her grandmother stayed behind and struck up a conversation with a speed skating coach. The next day, Sadouskaya found herself on the ice wearing a pair of speed skates for the first time.

And it was the right fit. She excelled in the discipline, attracting the attention of coaches after only a few months and eventually joined national and international competitive skating circuits.

Qualifying for the 2018 games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, as part of an elite Belarusian speed-skating team, she made it a point to enjoy the experience.

“As a professional speed skater, I traveled around the world for competitions, but the Olympics was on a whole other level,” she says. “I bumped into world-class athletes at the village on a daily basis. While we all respected each other as athletes, I could not help but enjoy being a fan. Sometimes you would bump into one of your idols in the game room or share a meal at the dining hall. To share the Olympic Village with legends of sport was the most memorable experience for me.”

Like many Olympic athletes, Sadouskaya spent weeks at the event site preparing for the games. When not training for her event—the 500-meter individual long-track—she spent her time learning about Korean culture, playing games with fellow Olympians and attending figure skating events and hockey games.

Kseniya Sadouskaya in PyeongChang at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Although she didn’t make the podium, Sadouskaya has fond memories of the experience. “Looking back, it’s hard to believe that it actually happened to me,” she says.

Sadouskaya retired from competitive skating after the 2018 Olympics and eventually moved to Seattle. Hoping to leverage her experience as an athlete into a coaching career, she found SU’s Kinesiology program to be a natural fit. Kinesiology is the science of physiological, mechanical and behavioral aspects of physical activity.

“I chose to study Kinesiology because I want to stay in the sports world and work my way toward becoming a strength and conditioning coach,” says Sadouskaya, who so certain of where she wanted to be that she applied only to SU’s graduate program.

Kinesiology Department Chair Julius Moss, EdD, isn’t surprised that elite athletes like Sadouskaya are attracted to the Master of Science in Kinesiology degree. “Our program bridges the gap between exercise science and performance analytics,” he says. “We attract professional athletes and practitioners of various disciplines to our field.”

In addition to her studies Sadouskaya also works as a Graduate Assistant in the Human Performance Lab, which she describes as a fun and rewarding experience. Lab Supervisor Kyle DeRosia, MS, has been impressed with her work and sees a connection between her success as an athlete and her performance as a scientist.

“It is obvious to me how Kseniya earned her spot as an Olympian,” DeRosia says. “Her drive and commitment to excellence is clear in her work in the Human Performance Lab and we’re grateful to have her as a member of this team.”

Sadouskaya knows the value of top-tier education in her highly competitive industry and has seen how SU’s program is preparing her with the skills to succeed.

“It’s cool when you get to coach athletes, of course, but here I’m encouraged to look outside the box,” Sadouskaya says. “The Data Analytics curriculum offered by the Kinesiology Department helps me do this. When I go into coaching, I can utilize technology to analyze data and better shape decision-making on the field. As a coach, that brings a lot of value to the team.”

Her peers don’t often know that they’re studying with an Olympian. “But,” she says, looking down with a smile at a small tattoo of the Olympic rings on her ankle, “sometimes the topic comes up.”