10月9日，她首次代表美国队参赛. 圣地亚哥泛美运动会23人, 智利, Kate Horvat ’14 rowed to a gold medal in the Women’s Quadruple Scull. One day later, she earned silver in the Women’s Eight. 整体, the United States Women’s Rowing Team accumulated 10 medals across the five-day regatta, the best performance at a Pan American Games since 1999. 整体, the United States finished with 286 medals (124 gold!), 81 more than Brazil, who finished second in the medal count. 

“That was definitely something to be proud of,霍瓦特说. “It was close racing, very intense, and very fun. 这是我第一次去美国.S. 我的团队，我非常感激. To be a part of an international race at that level, the boat yard with all the different federations, and just the level of professionalism was awesome to be a part of.

“Winning didn’t sink in until we were on the medal stand and they were raising the American flag and singing the anthem,她接着说. “That’s when I realized this isn't a medal just for me, but for the United States of America also.”

从vwin德赢娱乐毕业后, Horvat continued her academic and athletic career at Yale University, 然后去了剑桥大学. She even rowed for the “light blues” of Cambridge against the “dark blues” of Oxford University in the 74^th女子划船比赛. She thought she was done with rowing after finishing school, 但她发现自己很想念这项运动, and started thinking about the “what-ifs” in 2020. 从那以后，她一直在训练, with the goal of becoming an Olympian like her grandfather, 弗拉基米尔•, when he rowed for Yugoslavia in the 1952 Summer Olympics. 

“It's not like basketball or football where there's a domestic championship or something,霍瓦特说. “It's pretty much you can do it for fun, for summer racing, or you're trying to make the Olympics. 这就是最终目标. It’s to be determined, but that's what I'm working towards.” 

Horvat’s next big race will be the Winter Speed Order in February, which she said will be a big decider for a lot of people, 包括她自己, 他们是否会被邀请到美国.S. 夏季奥林匹克夏令营. 当她意识到她的目标是崇高的, Horvat is not afraid due to the lessons she learned in high school.

“I took a lot of risks with academics and athletics, but I knew I was safe doing it because I was at GA,霍瓦特说. “I knew I could ‘fail’, and it would be okay, and no one would penalize me for it. It was a great place that encouraged that, especially when high school is filled with pressure. 鼓励冒险是一种好的方式, and the work I do now is a massive risk - you give up careers, 的关系, and a lot of hallmarks of your 20s for something that isn’t guaranteed to be successful. 

“Even going to GA was a risk, and it totally paid off,” Horvat concluded. “Undoubtably, it turned into the best decision of my life. So many wonderful things happened to and for me after that and I am grateful.”