Many high-school students look for a change of pace or scenery when they finish their four years, but not as many want the change to be as drastic as Alicja Czajka envisioned it.

Changing states or moving a few hours away is one thing, but moving halfway across the world is another. A Polish citizen, Czajka looked at schools in the United States, and although she was looking for change, there was one element of her life she knew she couldn’t give up: running.

“I’d ran for almost my whole life,” said Czajka, who is finishing her final year of eligibility at NIU. “It’s a big part of my life, and it’d be so hard to give up.

But why? Why would someone enjoy running 60 or more miles a week?

“It’s not just about running; it’s a mental sport,” she said. “If you don’t plan your race, you go out too fast and your race is over. It’s challenging to stay focused. In running, there’s nobody that can cover for you – in other sports, if you miss the ball, someone else can always pick it up, but not in running.”

Czajka spoke first to NIU coaches, and the deal was set – she would live in the States and run cross country and track for the Huskies. It worked well for her family. Her father had worked at Marquette University for a year and a half when Czajka was very young, so they were familiar with the area.

The next stage of her life had been set, but the adjustments were just beginning. Czajka had to adapt to a new culture, strengthen her English skills, and perhaps less obvious, get used to running on pavement in the plains of the Midwest.

“The first year was hard for me because of all the running on pavement we did,” she said. “But that’s a difficult transition for most distance runners. Sometimes, we just have to get out of DeKalb to run.”

Czajka’s transitions helped transform her into the distance team’s leader. On April 9, she set the school record for the 1500-meter run with a 4:33.41 time. Only a few weeks later, on April 30, she broke her own record with a time of 4:32.10.

“That’s pretty exciting,” she said. “It’s something that athletes are always looking for: improvement. If you can improve, then that’s the best thing.”

Her experience in DeKalb got even better when her younger brother, Chris, decided to join her in the Midwest last fall.

“I didn’t even know my sister was in such good shape when I was in Poland,” said the 19-year-old DeKalb High School senior. “But now I know how much work it takes to be a runner.”

Chris joined the Barbs’ cross country team in the fall but couldn’t run due to eligibility.

“My sister started running early and basically, I started running because of her,” he said. “It helped me adjust, being on the cross country team, but still, my language wasn’t that good.”

Now the door is closing on Czajka’s final season with the Huskies, but she doesn’t plan on leaving. Alicja plans to continue training with the NIU runners in preparation for the Chicago Marathon. This summer, she and Chris plan to travel to Colorado and see parts of the world they have always wanted to see.

“I think it’ll be a new challenge,” she said.