2008 Woodie Awards
University junior race walks to summer Olympic trials
Chris Curtis
Issue date: 4/16/08 Section: Campus
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The University of Rhode Island junior practices race walking, a lesser-known track and field event that Kazmierczak said he hopes will take him to the Olympic Games.
Many may not be familiar with the sport, which, while not big in New England, is more common in other areas of the country, including Kazmierczak's home state of New York. It was in New York that he was first introduced to the sport.
Kazmierczak attempted to qualify for the Empire State Games, New York's statewide amateur athletic competition, during high school. Having just missed qualifying in his chosen event, the mile, he entered the race walking competition, winning his debut race when the first and second place finishers were disqualified.
"It's just something that I picked up," he said. "I was a decent runner and then I found that and just kind of fell into it, and now it's something I really enjoy doing."
The rules of race walking require that racers keep one foot on the ground at all times and that their forward leg be straightened upon contact with the surface.
"It definitely looks like running if you ever see it," Kazmierczak said. "It doesn't look like walking at all."
Kazmierczak said his sport elicits a variety of reactions from onlookers.
"Some people laugh, some people ask me to show them how to do it, some people ask me what it is. … It brings up a lot of questions," he said.
Explaining the sport to the uninitiated usually takes some time, Kazmierczak said.
"Most people think it's just regular walking, and that sounds pretty easy to walk around the track and get a medal, but in reality it's really not," he said. "It's almost the same speed as running."
Kazmierczak can complete a single mile in under six minutes. In order to qualify for the Olympics, Kazmierczak will have to walk 20 kilometers, or 12.4 miles, in less than 96 minutes. To do that will require him to walk each mile in just shy of eight minutes.