Athlete Q&A: Mary Kathryn Olvera

My name is Mary Kathryn Olvera. This year I turn 18, and will graduate high school in 2024. I’m a student-athlete at a boarding school in New Mexico. I’ve been a pentathlete for six years this coming March, and have competed in regional, national, and international competitions since. Pentathlon consists of epee fencing, swimming, laser pistol shooting, running, and equestrian show jumping.

How long have you been an athlete?

This March, I will have been competing in pentathlon for six years. I’ve been an athlete for nine years though. I started with a local swim club, and fell in love with the Olympic Games, particularly the sport of modern pentathlon.

How do sports impact your life?

Sports have impacted my life immensely. Since starting, I have something that keeps me accountable and disciplined. My favorite impact this sport has on me is the friendships and relationships I’ve made with my coaches, and teammates, as well as the traveling I’ve gotten to do. This past year, I had the opportunity to train in Germany, and compete in Italy for a World Championship event. The sport has impacted my day-to-day life, always keeping me busy, but always keeping me on my toes and wanting to be the best I can be.

What do you love about your sport, or being an athlete?

I fell in love with Modern Pentathlon three years ago. That moment that I fell in love, I knew this was something I wanted to do forever. Personally, my favorite thing about this sport and being an athlete is that I’m held accountable for my health, disciplined to show up to practices, and I’m always searching for the best version of myself…how much can I push in this workout…how much can I do… always looking for the better version of myself, which has made me proud, and the people around me proud as well.

What important challenges or setbacks you have faced throughout your athletic career? What did those experiences teach you, and how have they influenced where you are today?

When I started boarding school, I had some of the toughest setbacks. I fell out of love with the sport, and practicing was the hardest thing for me. I had an extremely difficult competition, and I didn’t place or compete as well as I had anticipated. It was completely devastating. When you train hard for something, you always want to do your best, and at the end of the day, my best wasn’t as good as I intended nor projected. From this experience, I had to learn how to bounce back without letting it drown me too much. I was drowning from my failure, and it affected my relationships with friends, family, coaches, and teammates. Over the last three years, I have been learning to recover, correct what I did wrong, and not let it upset me too much. At the end of the day, if I gave my best, that’s all I can do, and that next time, I need to be more prepared for what I failed at last time. Additionally, it’s important to not use the word “failure”- it’s nonexistent. For any athlete, if you’re getting out and competing, dying for your sport and that medal or trophy, failure does not exist. That’s a mental block I’ve struggled with for very long, and continue to struggle with today. Overcoming this has had a lot to do with my support system. They’ve supported me and helped me when I was in a low spot, and ultimately encouraged me to keep going.

What roles have mental and physical health & wellness played in your journey so far?

As a female athlete, it is super easy to compare yourself. Back in 2019, I met the Team USA Woman Olympic Modern Pentathlon Athlete, Samantha Schutlz, and she told me “comparison is the thief of joy,” and it’s true. It’s easy to look in the mirror and see everything that is wrong, and it’s even easier to go compete or even train and compare yourself to your teammates physique wise. It’s important to remember that it’s all a mental game at some point. Your body is your body, and it’s not going to change, whether you want it to or not. Mental health will always come first for me before physical health because if you feel terrible about yourself, you’re going to treat yourself physically terrible, and vice versa with feeling good about yourself. If you know you're the best, then you’ll treat your body better because that body has gotten you to be the best. It’s all a mental game.

What's a piece of advice you think all athletes should keep in mind?

Always believe in yourself. I struggle at times, but when I believe in myself, I see my best performances and best outcomes. And always, always, always, build the best support system you possibly can. They will get you through the toughest moments in your sports career, and life.