World Wide Terps: Experiences That Shaped Their Lives

For Women’s History Month, Maryland Athletics celebrates the contributions of all women student-athletes to all 12 women’s varsity programs. 

Many of those women celebrated are international student-athletes attending school in the United States for the first time. They’ve overcome challenges in adjusting to life in the U.S. and have still succeeded in the classroom and their respective sports.  

Several international student-athletes from various varsity sports shared their experiences and advice, describing how other individuals and specific moments in their lives helped shape them as individuals. 

They responded to the following questions: 

1. As we celebrate Women's History Month, can you share how the women in your life — whether family, coaches or mentors — have shaped your journey as a student-athlete?

2. Reflecting on your experiences as an international student-athlete, how have you seen women’s roles in sports evolve — both in your home country and globally — and what progress would you like to see moving forward?

3. Can you tell us about a particular moment when you felt empowered as a woman in sport? How did that moment shape your identity, both as an athlete and as a woman?

4. What advice would you give to young women, especially those who come from cultures where women in sports may face more challenges as they pursue their dreams in athletics and education?

Duru Gökçen | Volleyball | Istanbul, Turkey 

1. The first and only woman that came to my mind with this question is my mom. I started playing volleyball because of my parents, and there is nothing I can do to show them how grateful I am for this. My mom is a physical education teacher. She has such a big role in everything I do. I grew up watching everything she did to learn new things every day and the effort she gave to get out of her comfort zone. She was working all day and driving me to practice for an hour in traffic, waiting for my practice to be over for three hours before driving me back home. I am so grateful for everything she has done for me and everything that I learned from her. I can still feel her support every day even though we are 6,000 miles apart, and I only see her two months a year.

2. I am from Turkey, and I have watched the progress of women's volleyball in the last few years. Turkey has always been pretty good at volleyball, but in recent years, the increase in their success has been significant. They became European champions and world champions in the same year, and watching them made me feel so proud of my country and all of the women's volleyball players. 

3. My team and I became Turkey champions when I was 13 for the first time. The feeling I had at the last point of the final game was unexplainable. Winning a national championship at that age was a great feeling. I played four more national championship final games after that year, and the exciting feeling of being a team, winning and ambition has never changed. The pride and happiness I felt the day I was confirmed to be coming to the University of Maryland made me feel like all the effort and hard work I put in was paying off.

4. Always be aware of what you can do and achieve, think about your successes and remind yourself of your potential. Don't be afraid to set goals that seem impossible to you, even beyond your dreams, because sometimes you realize they become real.

Nicha Kanpai | Women’s Golf | Chiang Rai, Thailand 

1. The support staff at Maryland are all very nice and supportive, especially since I am now in injury protocol. My coaches, athletic trainer (Sam), academic counselor (Sydney) and sports psychologist (Jackie) are willing to think outside the box and beyond their job requirements to put the effort in to get what I need. I really use all aspects of the support staff here, and I am so grateful for them all. My mom and my family are always very supportive of my mental well-being. They offer great perspectives and help me manage my emotions to get through the ups and downs of being a student-athlete. 

2. Golf is already a very popular sport back home in Thailand, and a lot of us aspire to play it professionally. Recently, I've seen a lot more young girls pursue college golf in the United States before heading into their professional careers. When we attend tournaments where other Thai players are competing, we always make an effort to say hello and catch up. We may not have been close back home, but it's nice to talk about our shared experiences and love of golf. Moving forward, I definitely would like to see more media coverage of women's golf. As of now, there is not a lot. The only coverage of women's golf is currently for the LPGA. A lot of young women are already interested in playing golf. However, the funding isn't always available due to a lack of coverage. 

3. The moment I won Terp of the Week and was featured on the video board at a home football game meant a lot to me. The recognition of a smaller sport by Damon, our Athletic Director, and Terp fans made me feel seen. The recognition of a small sport at a big school was super impactful. I had old classmates reach out and say they saw me on the video board, which was really cool. I am one of the few athletes pursuing a Nutrition and Dietetics degree and my college advisor, Dr. U, asked to feature me on the nutrition website, so I appreciated my peers and advisors getting to see another part of my world. 

4. There is more support than you think! You are not in this alone! Be open-minded to change and speak up for yourself. It's important to recognize how you feel because there is always someone who will be there to listen and help you get through whatever challenge you are facing — teammates, coaches, friends — there are so many people who are willing to help.

Fleur Knopert | Field Hockey | Raalte, Netherlands

1. The women in my life played a big role in my journey as a student-athlete. My mom, for example, is just as competitive as me. She used to be a high-level equestrian and knows what it’s like to have such a big passion for your sport. She’s always been supporting me when I wanted to take the next step in my field hockey journey, even when I decided that I wanted to play in the US for 4 years and she wouldn’t be able to see me for the majority of the year. We often FaceTime and celebrate the small and big wins, and she is always there for me whenever I have a hard time. She reminds me that I’m good enough to be here. She has always believed in me and is one of the biggest supporters in my life, which is something I really appreciate. 

When I was a freshman at Ball State, there were two seniors: Libby and Kerri. Both inspired me a lot as well. Both of them were so strong and fit, held people accountable, were great leaders and worked incredibly hard. They always pushed themselves and others to do the same. One of them even trained for a half marathon on top of all the practices and games we had, and both of them did pull-ups like it was nothing. I thought that was the coolest thing ever, and I wanted to be just as strong and fit as they were. They took me under their wing and pushed me every single day in the weight room and when we had to get on the line to run 170s. Because of them, I became a better athlete physically and mentally, and I try to share my enthusiasm and push my teammates with lifting and running, which might not always be the fun part, so they can become the best athletes they can be, which is so rewarding in the end. 

2. In The Netherlands, women’s sports have grown significantly in the last couple of years, especially when the women’s soccer team won the UEFA Women’s Euros in 2017 and became second in the FIFA World Cup in 2019. Overall, I think women’s sports in the Netherlands are treated pretty equally to men’s, which is something I love, except for the fact that men still get paid more, especially for soccer and field hockey. 

In other countries, it’s definitely different, so I feel very fortunate to have this experience and to be able to play sports in general. In the hockey India league, the highest-paid male player received 90k USD, and the highest-paid female player ‘only’ received 36k USD, which is a huge difference, unfortunately. On the other side, I think the U.S. is doing a great job with Title IX, which was a great step for women’s sports in the U.S. I hope other countries will follow as well. I would love to see equal pay rates for professional athletes in the future. I would also love to see more media attention for women’s sports, especially back home. The men’s soccer teams are always broadcast, but it’s much harder to find a live women’s soccer game. And last but not least, we need more young girls! Sports are so fun and bring me so much in life. I hope everyone, both women and men, will be able to experience it. 

3. Honestly, every single time we line up, I just look at my teammates and think, wow, we look pretty cool. We all have our own game-day hair, wear skirts, look pretty and are ready to destroy the other team. Girlhood is a real thing. Braiding each other's hair and getting ready together is so fun. You can look cute, be tough and be competitive. My headband might not look cute, but every single time I put it on, I just get into the zone and feel stronger. I’m proud to be a woman and love that we are able to show it when we play. 

4. Dreams stay dreams unless you take action. Sometimes, things might seem scary, whether it is trying a new sport, doing tryouts for your high school team or trying to play in a different country. A little bit cliche, but just remember that you always miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. For example, transferring was the scariest thing that I’ve ever done, but I’m so glad that I entered the transfer portal and ended up playing for Maryland so I can keep pushing myself both as a student and athlete. Believe in yourself, be creative, and where there is a will, there is a way. You might not always be motivated, and the road might not always be easy, but as long as you stay disciplined and be creative with the things you have, you can do anything. Playing here has brought me so much, and I am so happy and grateful to play here for Maryland! Dreams do come true.

Oliwia Orlinska | Tennis | Wroclaw, Poland

1. The women in my life, especially my mom and grandma, have played a significant role in shaping my journey as a student-athlete. As a tennis player balancing academics and sports, I needed a lot of support. They sacrificed so much, like driving me to practices, preparing meals and even serving food between classes and training. My mom even quit her job to give me the time and help I needed to achieve my goals.

2. Over time, I have witnessed the growing influence of women in sports, with increasing confidence and recognition. While we have achieved a lot, there is still room for improvement. I hope to see women receive the appreciation they deserve and for our hard work to be fully acknowledged and rewarded.

3. A defining moment when I felt empowered was being recruited by the University of Maryland. It was proof that all my years of dedication had paid off. I started playing tennis when I was seven, and now, at 19, I have secured both my academic and athletic future. As a woman, my determination and passion helped me reach this point, making that moment incredibly rewarding.

4. My advice to young women, especially those from cultures where women face more challenges in sports, is to never give up and keep working hard. Enjoy every moment, even when it’s difficult, and believe in yourself. There were many times I doubted myself, but perseverance brought me to where I am today. The journey may be tough, but it makes success even more meaningful.