Salve Regina sailing senior Kate Johnson had the honor of interviewing her teammate, Natalia "Nat" Altuzar. Since joining the team last year as a freshman with high school sailing experience, Nat quickly adapted to the college level. This spring, she became an officer and has contributed by helping develop a team workout program and has worked closely with university athletic trainers. Nat's leadership, encouragement and sailing insight have made her a valuable presence on the team.

Kate Johnson: Over the past two years, I've been consistently impressed by your determination and ability to turn challenges into opportunities. How long have you been interested in becoming an Athletic Trainer?
Nat Altuzar: I have always loved emergency medicine and I've been an athlete all my life, but I'd probably say since junior year of high school.

KJ: During your time at Salve, who has inspired you to pursue this career path?
NA: My coach Brittney Manning has helped inspire me and has supported me as an athlete. The athletic trainers—Logan, Emily, and Victoria—have also been a huge inspiration. Just seeing how they interact with athletes and the difference they make every day really motivated me.

KJ: How has your education at Salve supported your path toward athletic training?
NA: I like how small the school is—it's made it easier to connect with current athletic trainers here. Networking has been huge at Salve. This semester alone, I've already completed over 30 hours, and I'll likely have close to 200 by the time I graduate. The challenge is that Salve doesn't offer a kinesiology or sports science major, so navigating the program's specificity hasn't always been easy. But it's not impossible.

KJ: What has your overall experience at Salve been like so far?
NA: It's been good! It's definitely been challenging to match the specificity of my program with the courses Salve offers, but department chairs and professors have done their best to support my education.

KJ: What has your internship with the Athletic Trainers been like?
NA: It's been great—I really enjoy being down there. Because of the sailing season, I've had to cut back a bit on my hours, but I'll be back as a full-time intern during the next hockey season. They've been super accommodating and have taught me so much about the ins and outs of athletic training.

KJ: How has your experience been with the Athletic Department overall?
NA: They're super responsive when issues come up. Everyone in the department is kind and willing to work with student-athletes, and they're very supportive of those interested in athletic careers—whether current or future athletes.

KJ: You've played a role in strengthening the relationship between the Sailing Team and the Athletic Department. What growth have you seen?
NA: Our team works out twice a week now, and the weight room has made a big impact on our development. Sailors are also getting treatment when they need it instead of waiting until the summer. We even had a media day out on the water this season! This year, we've been really intentional about building that connection and helping the department better understand how our team operates.

KJ: What position do you sail, and why do you prefer that role?
NA: I'm a crew, and while I have some skipper knowledge, I really enjoy being a crew. I like the dynamic between skipper and crew—my high school coach used to say it's like a marriage because of the constant communication. I also like managing the smaller sail and being responsible for the subtle tweaks that affect our point and speed.

KJ: What other roles do you take on within the sailing team?
NA: I'm also a team captain, so I help coordinate logistics, scheduling, and making sure tasks get done. I've also worked on setting up our Notion system, developing a workout program and schedule, and supporting injury prevention and rehab.

KJ: You developed a training program for the sailing team this year. What was it like working with Salve Strength and Conditioning coach Tom Blainey on that?
NA: Tom is super knowledgeable and really generous with sharing his expertise. He's transparent about his training philosophy and helped us design a program that actually translates to what we do on the water. He was very open to creating something that works with the biomechanics of sailing.

KJ: What were some of the challenges you faced while developing that program?
NA: Scheduling was the biggest challenge. Everyone has different availability, so it took extra motivation and education to get the team on board with working out. There's also a wide range of gym experience on our team, so we had to design a program that could bridge that gap and meet everyone where they're at.

Salve Regina sailing wrapped up their spring 2025 season at the Southern 7 Fleet Race, placing fourth of eight teams. The Seahawks completed an impressive year after qualifying for the New England Fleet Race Championship by finishing in second place overall at the New England Dinghy Tournament.