Olympian Kristy Kowal to keynote women in sports day event

Olympic medalist Kristy Kowal, who won silver in swimming at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, will be the keynote speaker for the Skidmore College observance of National Girls and Women in Sports Day (NGWSD).

Kowal's talk, scheduled at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6, will be in Gannett Auditorium, Palamountain Hall. A full schedule of events designed to appeal to the region's young female athletes will be offered Saturday, Feb. 7, in the College's sports and recreation center.

The entire Skidmore observance is free and open to the public.

Kowal broke an American record at the Sydney Olympics, placing second in the 200-meter breaststroke, where she finished in 2:24.56. In 2001, she was second in the world championships in the 50-meter breaststroke, and in 2002, she was third in the 200-meter breaststroke at the Pan Pacific Championships. While a student at the University of Georgia, she helped her team to three NCAA swimming and diving championships. She was a seven-time NCAA champion and the NCAA's Co-Swimmer of the year in 2000. In addition, Kowal was the NCAA Woman of the Year in 2000.

Kowal had not swum year-round until the spring of 1995, when she earned a spot on the 1995 Pan Pacific team, her first international team. Upon winning her Olympic medal, Kowal told CNNSI.com, "I have been waiting for this for so long. Winning an Olympic medal has always been a dream of mine. It didn't hit me until I was behind the award stand that I had made it." The Reading, Penn., native earned a B.S. degree in education in 2002 and is now an elementary school teacher.

A reception with light refreshments will follow Kowal's talk at Skidmore on Friday evening.

Saturday's activities will feature sports clinics for girls in grades 3 through 8, lunch with Skidmore's student-athletes, and the opportunity to watch a Skidmore women's swimming and diving meet. All are free and open to the public. The schedule is as follows:

- 9:30 a.m., registration for clinics in field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, tennis, and volleyball in the Sports and Recreation Center.

- 12:15 p.m., lunch with Skidmore's student-athletes in the Dance Center gym. The lunch will include a visit from the Skidmore Thoroughbred mascot, face painting, and free give-aways.

- 1 p.m., Skidmore Women's Swimming and Diving Invitational, Sports and Recreation Center pool.

National Girls and Women in Sports Day is annually celebrated in all 50 states with community-based events honoring the achievements and encouraging the participation of girls and women in sports. The observance was launched in 1987 as a day to remember Olympic volleyball player Flo Hyman for her athletic achievements and her work to assure equality for women's sports. Hyman died in 1986 of Marfan's Syndrome while competing in a volleyball tournament in Japan. Since that time, NGWSD has evolved into a day to acknowledge the past and recognize current sports achievements, the positive influence of sports participation, and the continuing struggle for equality and access for women in sports.

For registration information for the Skidmore events, please call 580-5394.