There is a controlled confidence in the way Savannah Garcia steps onto the track. An unspoken understanding that she belongs in the chaos of the heptathlon. Seven events, two grueling days, endless adjustments. It's a sport for athletes who refuse to be boxed in, much like Garcia herself.
A transfer from Portland State University, the Salinas, California native found her next chapter at Cal State East Bay. For Garcia, the move wasn't about restarting—it was about redefining. East Bay represented an opportunity to take ownership of her path, challenge herself beyond the scoreboard, and build something lasting both on and off the track.
"I chose Cal State East Bay because it challenges me to create my own path and take ownership of my future," Garcia said.
That sense of agency matters to her. At East Bay, she saw a campus that values independent thinking, professionalism, and practical skills - an environment that mirrors the demands of the heptathlon itself. Nothing is handed to you. Every point is earned. Every improvement is intentional.
As a student-athlete, Garcia has embraced the balance the university demands. Discipline learned on the track translates seamlessly into the classroom; leadership forged through competition shows up in group projects and long-term career planning. East Bay, she says, has taught her how to align ambition with action—and how to turn challenges into opportunities rather than excuses.
Her inspiration is deeply personal.
The person who motivates her most isn't an Olympian or a record holder, but her eldest brother. His journey was marked by obstacles that many assumed would limit him including personal and medical challenges that led people to doubt he would even finish high school. Instead, he persevered, graduated from college, and defied every expectation placed upon him.
Watching that journey changed Garcia's worldview.
"It taught me the importance of discipline, faith in oneself, and pushing forward even when the odds are against you," she said.
When training days stretch long, when performances don't align with expectations, and when doubt creeps in as it inevitably does in a grueling seven-event discipline, Garcia returns to that lesson. Obstacles, she reminds herself, do not define the outcome. Perseverance does.
The heptathlon, with its relentless demand for versatility, has shaped her in profound ways. Balancing sprints, hurdles, jumps, throws, and middle-distance running requires more than physical talent—it demands mental flexibility, time management, and resilience. For Garcia, perfectionism once made that balance difficult. Trying to master everything at once left little room for rest, reflection, or enjoyment. The strain of competition and coursework often meant sacrificing social time, and at times, burnout edged out joy.
Her breakthrough came not through pushing harder, but by shifting perspective.
"I've worked to overcome this by learning to give myself grace and shifting my focus from perfection to progress," she said.
By setting realistic goals, prioritizing recovery, leaning on her support system, and becoming more intentional with her time, Garcia rediscovered her love for the process. The result has been a healthier mindset—one that allows her to compete fiercely without losing sight of why she started.
That clarity extends beyond athletics and into her professional ambitions. Garcia envisions a future where fulfillment and success go hand in hand, with her eyes set on the casino and gaming industry. She aims to grow into a leadership role within operations and, one day, rise to the executive level or co-ownership.
More than profit, her vision is about reinvention.
She wants to help reimagine the casino experience by creating spaces that feel efficient, exciting, and customer-focused. Her major in supply and operations management at Cal State East Bay provides the framework to make that vision real, equipping her with expertise in logistics, resource planning, and process optimization. The same strategic thinking that helps her manage seven events across two days now informs how she studies operations systems and organizational flow.
Savannah Garcia is building her future the same way she competes - deliberately, resiliently, and with a long view in mind. Whether she's clearing a hurdle, fine-tuning a landing, or mapping out a career path, she moves with confidence earned through experience.
At Cal State East Bay, she isn't just chasing points or grades. She's crafting a life defined not by limitations, but by the belief that perseverance - steady, unwavering, and self-directed - always finds a way forward.
