Grace Trucilla: Triplet on the Track

Grace Trucilla is a current Penn State distance and cross country runner. She currently balances training and the demands of being a Brand Design intern for Nike within their Global Brand Design team in Portland, OR. Listen up to her speak to her experiences as a collegiate athlete, her advice for others and her kick-ass goals!

Grace's Accomplishments: At the Big Ten Championships... || 2017 Indoor || Competed in the Mile finishing 17th || 2016 Outdoor ||Finished 26th in the 800-meters running a season best time of 2:13.80 in Lincoln, Neb.

Who are you!? 

To start, my name is Grace Trucilla and I am not only one of six children, but I am also the oldest of a set of triplets which consist of two girls and a boy! We are the babies of two older brothers and an older sister! I love coming from a big family they are a reason of who and how I am today! I am currently a student- athlete at the Pennsylvania State University on both the Cross Country and Track and Field teams! I study Pre-Law and I am currently in search of a happy medium between law and Corporate America… and then eventually will find some sort of political agenda!

I find happiness in competition, I find joy in writing but most importantly I find true satisfaction in eating! In all, I find myself as a ‘go-getter,’ a very self-motivated individual always chasing the next goal on my list and obsessed with going after anything that fuels my soul! I’d like to think I can do anything I put my mind to, always challenging myself and my own standards. I am a very passionate person whether it stems from sport, family or food! Anything I say or do stems from aggressive passion that I find helps drive what I do today and the relationships I form!

What is your experience like as a student athlete? Between balancing D1 Track, Academics, social life, and career goals?

Being a student-athlete is very hard to illuminate but an experience I wouldn’t give up for the world. It is challenging and rigorous and mentally puzzling. It is amazing and enlightening and a blessing all in one! For me, I am on the Cross Country and Track and Field teams which means I am training for 3 seasons, 3 B1G Ten Conference Championships and 3 NCAA Finals, a year (indoor track and outdoor track are two different seasons). I get a max of 2 weeks off after outdoor seasons and a three-day break in between each season. I run my legs into the ground, pounding the pavement often and definitely my mind into deep water. However, being a student-athlete has allowed me to become a better person overall. I learn to be determined, driven and focused. It allows me to be prioritized with everything I do. I find that the busier I am, the better! I have learned to pick my battles with having the ‘happy medium’ on life and making sure I keep myself happy before I stretch myself too thin. The key to having it all, is believing you already do. Because I for sure do not have it all and though I strive too, having this to keep sanity between my ears has been the confidence builder in my life.

How do you train during a full-time summer internship?

Gosh. This was, to be honest, the hardest part of a full-time summer internship. It becomes like a second job. I am up early before the sun shines and sometimes I find myself sleeping before the sun even disappears. It is not only physically exhausting, but it is also mentally challenging. I am running, on average, 60-70 miles a week during the summer- on average that is already 12-15 hours of working out, with core work, mobility, lift, all the little things and then add in alternative training (swimming, biking, etc…). So, after a 9-5 day plus about 2hrs+ of training (that should be longer) I find that I eat dinner late and then I am off to bed. But, that drives me. How can I maximize my time? Learning, growing and crossing things off the list are the start. Training is just one example of discipline that even got me the opportunity to be accepted into Nike’s internship. So, it’s hard but it’s definitely worth it.

Do you ever struggle with mental health issues on or off the track? I.e. Anxiety, pressure, confidence, body image. And if so, what are ways you overcome those? 

Absolutely. I have struggled with body image for a long while now. I would never blame the sport of running, but I definitely give credit to the culture of running for inducing that mental aspect I cannot seem to throw away. I am constantly battling with how can I be faster? I got to be lighter. How can I be better? I got to be the smallest I can be. BUT, hell no. I know in real world that’s not how the sport operates. It is being checked in mentally, being healthy and strong, understanding YOUR body and putting in the work. However, though I know this is what I NEED to believe in it is something I do not WANT to believe in. I coward around what if I lose weight, or “I need to lean up,” all the time. I suffer from disordered eating and that is something I attribute to “race weight” or the way I think I need to be. I strive to overcome this by looking at other healthy and strong athletes tackle their goals as it inspires me to be ME and not fade away into the culture of who I think I need to be or look like. I think because I am able to step away and address this problem, I will never let it ruin my love for the sport or the relationships created from the sport. So, for that, I am grateful.

What are you goals during your senior year? (Both athletically and career wise)

There are so many things I am sure everyone wants to cross off the list for their senior year, especially as a student-athlete. However, though I do have some significant goals like becoming a leader on my team, earn another year of academic accolades, or give back at Conference or NCAA’s, I also want to be happy and open. I want to be happy with my performance on and off the track whether I didn’t get my straight 4.0 or if I did, whether I didn’t achieve B1G ten points, or I did. I want to be open to new opportunity and new memories that will give my senior year the shine I always dreamed of.  I am excited to secure my friendships with the people who make being on a team and at Penn State the best. I am excited to go after any career opportunity in front of me and remind myself to do things for myself and to seize the year! 

What are some things you would advise other student athletes to get involved in during their collegiate life to transition into life after sports?

Some advice I would give other student-athletes as they eventually transition into life after sports would be to be involved in other hobbies YOU enjoy. I blogged for my English department and found love with journalism, one of the reasons Law School will be my future, eventually, after undergrad. I found value in joining the Student Athlete Advisory Board, in which I was nominated as my Team Representative and this allowed me to sharpen and utilize my leadership skills with my team and all of the athlete life on campus! I was also highly involved in Student Athlete Bible Study- having a foundation of any background allows for self-forgiveness and a bond with other athletes dealing with OTHER, real life, issues outside of sports. DO THINGS FOR YOURSELF. Find passion and interests in things that fuel your soul and help clear your mindset going forward. Go after the career you always dreamed of, take the classes you need to take, even if that means you have to miss a practice and work with your coach on a different schedule. Remember to work with your athletic advisors on setting up academic plans, summer internship opportunities and NEVER wait until the last minute! Enjoy the goals you fantasize about and then, well, go after them!

Follow her on Instagram: @gtrucilla

Connect with her on LinkedIn here.