Alumni Feature - Kristle Lowell '12
“I qualified for the national team in Greensboro, NC, and went to the World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. I wanted to definitely make the competition team, which is decided there, and I won both of the two verification competitions and made the competitive team! I got to work with a coach while I was there, Chelsea Rainer, and she was incredible.”
For the World Championships, five athletes go but only four compete – so it was a constant competition to prove herself.
“I did the performances of my life going into finals to get into the top eight. It’s extremely difficult to make finals with the current two per country rule. We went to this early-morning training session in Russia, where the World Championships were, and made some new passes and some last minute changes to my routine. As the competition continued, we strategized and ended up with bronze – and was so excited! I was the only woman from the United States to get a medal, and I am so proud to be able to do that for the country.”
Congratulations, Kristle!
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August 2016 Feature
As a young and dedicated gymnast, Kristle Lowell ’12 has worked hard toward a successful trampoline career.
Kristle, born and raised in Orland Park, Illinois, is an American double mini trampolinist known all over the world. After 20 years of competing, she has recently won the National Championships in Providence, Rhode Island. This tremendous victory has landed her a spot on Team USA.
“Winning the gold this year was one of the happiest moments of my life,” says Kristle proudly. “It is such an honor to put on my USA jacket and represent our country.”
This is her second National Championship title in USA Gymnastics. On top of that, she holds two World Championships gold medals, for both team and individual titles, and seven international gold medals. Kristle is hoping to soon be selected for the 2017 World Championships in Bulgaria. “We have a chance to win a team medal, and I would be thrilled to be a part of that,” she adds.
Addicted to the adrenaline rush she gets as she flies through the air, Kristle says “there is nothing that compares to that feeling.” The thing that inspires her most throughout her journey as a trampolinist is when people tell her something is impossible. Although she often thinks the same thing in her head, someone saying it out loud gives her a burning desire to work hard and prove them wrong.
Kristle is particularly motivated by her biggest sports idol, Dwayne the Rock Johnson, who recently came out as being someone who struggled with depression. As someone who struggles with depression herself, Kristle admires his bravery to speak out on this topic and motivation to continuously pursue his dreams while struggling.
“I have learned that one way to inspire others is to show them that you are not perfect,” she says. “People might see me struggle, but they will never see me quit. I have taken my feelings and poured it into my sport and academic work. I have learned to use my imperfections to my advantage.”
In addition to all of her athletic accomplishments, Kristle graduated from Lewis University in just three years with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal/Social Justice. She remembers the teachers to be very accommodating to her busy training schedule. She learned to develop skills in planning, organization, and time management in order to balance her academic life and trampoline career.
The most challenging part of her career continues to be the ability to balance a law enforcement job with the constant demands of traveling on Team USA. Encouraged to become a better writer by Assistant Professor of English Dr. Dawn Walts, Kristle uses writing as a therapeutic outlet during the most chaotic times.
“Lewis taught me that it is perfectly fine to have more than one passion and encouraged me to pursue all of them to the fullest,” says Kristle. “I was also taught that education goes in all directions and learning never stops.”
Eager to learn more, Kristle went on to obtain a Master of Art in Criminology from Adler School of Professional Psychology. She hopes to pursue a job in public safety, as she continues her career as an athlete.
When Kristle is not training or competing, she coaches other gymnasts and serves as a double mini and trampoline judge. A proud Lewis alumna, Kristle is grateful for the opportunity to live out all of her dreams, and offers the same piece of advice she has followed throughout her journey: “Pursue all of your dreams, and never sacrifice one in pursuit of another.”
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