Melania Palmiero is an exchange student from southern Italy who has been trying new sports since being in America. Back home in Italy, she participated in dancing and swimming. So during the winter she wanted to stay consistent in swimming, so she joined the swim team here at Liberty and is going on to participate for the first time ever in track in sprinting events.

Palmiero vocalized that swimming has helped her with track, because swimming has helped her build more endurance.

“I have always loved running,” Palmiero said. When she found out that cross country running and track is a sport in America, and at Liberty, she wanted to join. For cross country she didn’t know she could do it, and then when she found she could, she had missed the deadline for registration.

However, even though she missed the cross country season, she made sure she wouldn’t miss the track season.

“Yeah, just participating in a few competitions in Italy but it was with school and was not doing track,” Palmiero said. 

In learning about track, she saw that a lot of sprinters who ran with her instead of wearing regular running shoes wore spikes. Spikes help grip the track, which helps you provide more force in your push-offs, etc. So after a couple of days, she got herself her first pair of spikes from Fleet Feet.

Her goal for this track season is to improve her time and get better.

“She is doing great on track. She is doing everything she is supposed to and is a great teammate, has great sportsmanship, and tries her best,” junior Lyndsey Weishaar said.

Some people may be on the fence about studying abroad and being an exchange student, as there is many changes. It can be scary to leave the only place you have ever known.

“It’s a wonderful experience, so they should definitely try it, even though there are definitely a lot of differences.” Palmiero said.