Kaylee Bogina is from Arma, Kansas and recently competed at the Olympic trials marathon in February. Making it to that point is a huge goal she is proud to check off her list. Her running career began in high school and then continued through college at Adams State. She saw her brother and roommate compete in the trials and made it a goal for herself. “I remember watching them the whole way and thinking just, oh, how cool of an opportunity that they got to go and do that,” Bogina said. “And I think from that moment on, I was kind of like, man, could I do this? I think that’d be something really neat to do, but obviously, 26 miles is a whole different ballgame than what I was doing at the time.” Bogina got involved with a post-collegiate group with coaches at the University of Colorado. “From that moment on, I kind of had more of a purpose and a direction for where I was going, and I felt a lot more confident in getting to my goals that way,” Bogina said. “And so really a lot just changed as soon as I got connected with them, and I really started focusing more on the marathon at that point and had the goal of qualifying for the trials.” Later on, she ran a marathon in California to qualify for the Olympic trials marathon. Her time qualified her for the trials in February 2024. She says she loved experiencing the crowds there to support them and running among the best women in the country. “We’re going to have three great athletes representing us in Paris, and just the fact that I got to be on that start line and I had the same chance as they did is just something I’m really proud of,” Bogina said. Bogina says regardless of where you are from or the circumstances you are in, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. “I think the fact that I am from a small town, and I grew up in a small farming community, and we didn’t have the best facilities or anything like that, but I just felt so empowered and supported along the way to my goal. I think that is the true, like beauty in everything I was able to do here,” Bogina said. “This little goal that started when I was a freshman now has just like changed my whole life.” Since the trials, Bogina says she has been enjoying time off. Training takes 10 weeks of discipline and commitment, running 90-95 miles a week. “The fact that I get the opportunity to do that and just try for that is really huge for me,” Bogina said. “I don’t think that I’m quite on the level of some of these people that will have the chance to represent our country, and I think just being able to understand that allows me to have so much fun in this sport, still, like I can’t be disappointed with what I do, and I just had the opportunity to chase my dream.” She says she can see herself training again to make it to the next Olympic trials. Even if she never races again, she feels lucky. “I think that whether you get to the highest stage or not, I think just being able to be the best that you can possibly be is so huge. Having huge goals should never be something you should not be proud of having or scared to achieve,” Bogina said. “I think that the best things come from a dream that maybe seems a little far out there or scary or unattainable. It’s like, why not me? I think I would be so unsatisfied if I hadn’t ever had this dream. Someone’s got to do it, so why not me?”
Source: KSN-TV
