Indiana University Athletics
Student Spotlight: Hannah Sakaluk
10/3/2016 9:31:00 AM | General, Women's Swimming and Diving, Student-Athlete Services
By: Nick Reith
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Hannah Sakaluk is a renaissance woman of sorts. A second-year student at Indiana University, Hannah is a member of the IU swimming and diving team and a grant-funded student in the Department of Mathematics.
But there's more to Hannah than meets the eye, as her teammates and people from all over the athletic department discovered at last year's Spirit of Indiana Showcase.
A quick YouTube search will procure a video of Hannah's performance from the year-end celebration of Indiana Athletics. Within about five minutes on stage, Hannah performed circus acts like juggling pins, riding a unicycle while spinning a hula-hoop, and jump roping with the aforementioned unicycle.
It's a set of skills that people never expect from Hannah, but she's been working at it since she first picked up a unicycle in fourth grade. Her hometown of Normal, Illinois is home to Illinois State University, one of the only schools in the country with a collegiate circus. As such, the town of Normal provides circus performance opportunities at the junior high and high school level.
"It's not popular across the whole town, but it's something you look forward to doing when you're growing up," Hannah said. "It's something a lot of people really like to do, but a lot of people 'outgrow' it and decide they don't want to do it anymore. For our school, it was a big deal."
She learned how to unicycle on a spring break trip to Germany, her mother's home country. She picked up juggling two years later, also during a school break, and continued to build her performance arsenal until she reached the collegiate circus, which she got to participate in middle school and high school.
Hannah keeps up with circus tricks for many reasons, but nowadays it primarily serves as a creative outlet, a way to unwind after a day in the pool and the classroom.
"It's something I like to do as a crazy, silly release to distract me from swimming, school, and my daily routine," she said. "It's a fun thing that, when you first meet me, you wouldn't expect me to be doing that. So it's a unique skill I'm glad to have because it's fun to pull out every now and then."
Hannah's daily routine also includes a healthy portion of mathematics, much to her enjoyment. Her work in the classroom led to a research grant from the National Science Foundation, given to Hannah with the goal of easing her financial burden as she pursues her double major of international studies and mathematics.
"I have so many expectations for myself in school that I don't really worry about others' expectations of me," Hannah said regarding the NSF grant. "In high school, and even now, my parents never put pressure on me to do well in school—they just knew I would, and they trusted me to make up for anything I didn't do well. If anything, that scholarship has boosted my confidence in the sense that I've earned that, and that I'm in the right place."
Mathematics combined with international studies is a puzzling double major at first glance, but Hannah has a specific goal in mind. After she completes her education, Hannah has aspirations to work for the United Nations in the area of economic and social development. That line of work requires an astute knowledge of statistics and mathematics, and a background in international studies increases your chances of entering the field.
"I'd like to use my skills in math in a way that's beneficial to other people in the world, because that's really important to me," Hannah said. "I want to do something meaningful in the future. I kind of liked everything in school—writing, history, science, and math—so I wanted to combine my love for other cultures with something I'm really good at. It's a weird combination that worked for me."
Hannah attributes her passion to help others in underprivileged societies stems from her path through swimming. She claims that, although her natural talents didn't suit her in the lanes, she's persevered and battled her way to a spot on one of the most prestigious swimming teams in the country.
"I wouldn't say I've always had that calling, but it's kind of molded out of my life experiences," said Hannah. "I don't think I have to even change the world, I just want to do something meaningful that has an impact on someone or a group of people. If you live your life and are able to change someone's well-being for the better, I think you've lived a fulfilling life."
Until she's ready for the world of global relations, Hannah will continue to grind it out in the classroom and in the pools at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center. Hannah sees those pools, her coaches, and her teammates, as a place to sharpen her work ethic against some of the strongest swimmers in the world.
It's also been a place of support for Hannah, especially after she was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) last fall. It's a life-changing chronic illness that can increase your fatigue through mental or physical activity, but your fatigue doesn't improve after rest and recovery. Swimming and schoolwork can be draining on someone with CFS, but the support Hannah receives from her team keeps her focused through the tough times.
"I had a meeting with coach Mike Westphal not too long ago," Hannah said. "He said, 'We've never coached somebody with this illness, but we fully support you.' I'm so grateful to have coaches and teammates who support me, even though most days I can't do everything. Being around my teammates and having that support has kept me going, why I'm still around, and why I love it so much."
IUHoosiers.com
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Hannah Sakaluk is a renaissance woman of sorts. A second-year student at Indiana University, Hannah is a member of the IU swimming and diving team and a grant-funded student in the Department of Mathematics.
But there's more to Hannah than meets the eye, as her teammates and people from all over the athletic department discovered at last year's Spirit of Indiana Showcase.
A quick YouTube search will procure a video of Hannah's performance from the year-end celebration of Indiana Athletics. Within about five minutes on stage, Hannah performed circus acts like juggling pins, riding a unicycle while spinning a hula-hoop, and jump roping with the aforementioned unicycle.
It's a set of skills that people never expect from Hannah, but she's been working at it since she first picked up a unicycle in fourth grade. Her hometown of Normal, Illinois is home to Illinois State University, one of the only schools in the country with a collegiate circus. As such, the town of Normal provides circus performance opportunities at the junior high and high school level.
"It's not popular across the whole town, but it's something you look forward to doing when you're growing up," Hannah said. "It's something a lot of people really like to do, but a lot of people 'outgrow' it and decide they don't want to do it anymore. For our school, it was a big deal."
She learned how to unicycle on a spring break trip to Germany, her mother's home country. She picked up juggling two years later, also during a school break, and continued to build her performance arsenal until she reached the collegiate circus, which she got to participate in middle school and high school.
Hannah keeps up with circus tricks for many reasons, but nowadays it primarily serves as a creative outlet, a way to unwind after a day in the pool and the classroom.
"It's something I like to do as a crazy, silly release to distract me from swimming, school, and my daily routine," she said. "It's a fun thing that, when you first meet me, you wouldn't expect me to be doing that. So it's a unique skill I'm glad to have because it's fun to pull out every now and then."
Hannah's daily routine also includes a healthy portion of mathematics, much to her enjoyment. Her work in the classroom led to a research grant from the National Science Foundation, given to Hannah with the goal of easing her financial burden as she pursues her double major of international studies and mathematics.
"I have so many expectations for myself in school that I don't really worry about others' expectations of me," Hannah said regarding the NSF grant. "In high school, and even now, my parents never put pressure on me to do well in school—they just knew I would, and they trusted me to make up for anything I didn't do well. If anything, that scholarship has boosted my confidence in the sense that I've earned that, and that I'm in the right place."
Mathematics combined with international studies is a puzzling double major at first glance, but Hannah has a specific goal in mind. After she completes her education, Hannah has aspirations to work for the United Nations in the area of economic and social development. That line of work requires an astute knowledge of statistics and mathematics, and a background in international studies increases your chances of entering the field.
"I'd like to use my skills in math in a way that's beneficial to other people in the world, because that's really important to me," Hannah said. "I want to do something meaningful in the future. I kind of liked everything in school—writing, history, science, and math—so I wanted to combine my love for other cultures with something I'm really good at. It's a weird combination that worked for me."
Hannah attributes her passion to help others in underprivileged societies stems from her path through swimming. She claims that, although her natural talents didn't suit her in the lanes, she's persevered and battled her way to a spot on one of the most prestigious swimming teams in the country.
"I wouldn't say I've always had that calling, but it's kind of molded out of my life experiences," said Hannah. "I don't think I have to even change the world, I just want to do something meaningful that has an impact on someone or a group of people. If you live your life and are able to change someone's well-being for the better, I think you've lived a fulfilling life."
Until she's ready for the world of global relations, Hannah will continue to grind it out in the classroom and in the pools at the Counsilman-Billingsley Aquatic Center. Hannah sees those pools, her coaches, and her teammates, as a place to sharpen her work ethic against some of the strongest swimmers in the world.
It's also been a place of support for Hannah, especially after she was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) last fall. It's a life-changing chronic illness that can increase your fatigue through mental or physical activity, but your fatigue doesn't improve after rest and recovery. Swimming and schoolwork can be draining on someone with CFS, but the support Hannah receives from her team keeps her focused through the tough times.
"I had a meeting with coach Mike Westphal not too long ago," Hannah said. "He said, 'We've never coached somebody with this illness, but we fully support you.' I'm so grateful to have coaches and teammates who support me, even though most days I can't do everything. Being around my teammates and having that support has kept me going, why I'm still around, and why I love it so much."
Players Mentioned
Freestyle
/ Women's Swimming and DivingFB: Nico Radicic - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Drew Evans - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Bray Lynch - Spring Practice No. 11
Tuesday, April 21
FB: Spring Practice - Curt Cignetti Press Conference
Thursday, April 16