Kleiser Set to Compete in Winter Olympics
2/5/2014 1:36:00 PM | Track and Field
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Former UMKC sprinter Viola Kleiser is set to represent Austria in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia this month.
The Reichersdorf, Austria-native competed for the 'Roos as recently as 2012, setting a then-school record in the 200-meter dash at the 2012 Summit League Indoor Championships with a time of 25.17. Two years and two days later, she will compete in bobsleigh for Austria.
“My teammate and I are the first women to qualify in bobsleigh for the Olympic Games in Austrian history,” said Kleiser. “For that, I am very proud to represent my country in an Olympic sport for the first time. I am also very excited to compete at the Olympic level against former track stars like Lolo Jones and Lauryn Williams, who push the American sled.”
Kleiser credits Kansas City track and field coach Shameika McField for making a significant impact in her career.
“A huge influence in my athletic career had to be Shameika McField, who gave me the opportunity to earn a scholarship,” she said. “My decision to be a part of the UMKC track team was a very important step in my athletic career. Coach McField showed me a different way of training from which I gained a lot of athletic ability.”
Kleiser speaks fondly of her time in Kansas City and of the group she competed with while state-side.
“I loved being a part of such a big team and helping the team get better,” she said. “Without all of the experiences that I gained from being at UMKC, I definitely wouldn't be at the athletic level that I am now.”
As for how Kleiser transitioned from collegiate sprinting to Olympic-level bobsleigh, much of the credit belongs to the training style deployed by McField while she was with the 'Roos.
“When I came back to Austria from the U.S. about a year ago, I started practicing with a new coach. We started doing some speed and strength tests at a sports science institution. My results regarding speed and explosive strength weren't bad, I guess, because about a week later, the Austrian National bobsleigh team asked me to try out. About six months later, I was the number one pusher on the women's team, and I competed with Christina Hengster in the World Cup.”
In addition to McField, Kleiser credit numerous supporters for having influenced her blossoming career.
“My current coach, Philipp Wessely, can take almost all of the credit for my recent athletic success,” she said. “During the summer I had a very severe injury to my back, and I wouldn't have recovered in time for the winter season without his help.
“My family was always, and is still, an important part of my life as an athlete. They have supported me throughout my career, when I had my downs, and are now very proud of me.”
When Kleiser cross the finish line in Sochi, two integral parts of that support system, her mother and sister, will be there to cheer her on in the culmination of an Austrian success story that began in middle-America.
Players Mentioned
