Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 9 No. 6 | June 2017

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42 Inside Hokie Sports
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“That’s the part I miss themost,”
she admitted.
Her transition to Blacksburg got off to a rocky
start, as she and Marek Barta, a men’s discus thrower, arrived a
couple of weeks before classes started that January—a time of year when
Blacksburg lacks the buzz stemming from the students. That bothered
her the most. Sure, there were language barriers and food situations to
work through, but she liked interaction with people.
“The language part … I didn’t have a problem, but I think people were
afraid to talk to me because they didn’t understand me and didn’t want
to make me feel bad for not understanding me,” she said. “So it was hard
to get to know new people. It broke at a certain point, and I started to be
happy in Blacksburg.”
She’s been happy ever since, aside from an Achilles injury last year
that cost her an opportunity to win an ACC title and compete for another
national championship. This past season, she battled a shoulder injury,
but still managed to set an ACC Championships record with a throw of
58.68 meters (192 feet, 6 inches) en route to winning a gold medal.
The Hokies needed every one of her 10 points, too, as they won the
women’s team title for the first time in nine years. After the Hokies
clinched the title following the final event, they celebrated—none more
than Sediva.
“It was much better than winning nationals as an individual,” she said.
“It was amazing. We were cheering, and that was the best part.
“I threw the first day, and for the rest of the time, we were counting
points and staying at the track and screaming. At the end, we couldn’t
talk. Our vocals were done. It was fun—and painful because we couldn’t
participate again [after the first day]. We had to watch. We weren’t able to
do anything, but it was great.”
She celebrated just asmuchas afterwinning thenational championship
in Eugene. She took the lead on her fifth of six throws, with a toss of
58.76 meters (192 feet, 9 inches), and held on despite the bum shoulder,
annoying wind and chilly temperatures. Afterward, she, Pavla Kuklova
and Eva Vivod took a victory lap around Hayward Field.
“It’s pretty amazing,” Jack said. “You look at her, and she’s the
smallest competitor in the women’s javelin [at the NCAA meet]. There’s
no question. But she’s super athletic. She understands her event better
than anyone I’ve coached. She’s a student of the javelin. She understands
what’s going on at any given time. She has a good connection and feel for
her body, and she can really make that javelin sing.”
Sediva returned home to the Czech Republic following the NCAA
Championships – and the end of her college experience brought forth
a tinge of sadness. She plans on finishing her remaining coursework
toward her degree in international studies online this summer, while
also participating during the European season and then the 2017 World
University Games in Taiwan in late August.
Then in the fall, she starts graduate school at a university in the
Czech Republic to pursue a master’s degree in international relations,
with the goal of some day working for a non-profit organization or a
non-governmental organization (NGO) that helps people in under-
developed countries.
So with that said, she probably won’t be returning to the Virginia Tech
campus any time soon.
“To stay here forever, I never thought so,” Sediva said. “I lovemy home.
I was always certain that I wanted to go back there. I never regretted being
here, but I always knew my next stage would be there.”
Not that she regrets coming to Virginia Tech. Rest assured, it holds a
special place in her heart – one that is immovable.
“Definitely,” she agreed. “It was a process. It helped me grow very
much. It made a huge impact on me as a person.”
For sure, as she received a great education, participated in a great track
and field program, won two national championships—and of course,
learned about American football and the “Enter Sandman” experience.
That makes her a Hokie through and through, and no matter where
she goes throughout the world, she’ll always be able to call Blacksburg
a home.
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