From the time that sophomore Camilla Lazoski was little soccer was always a part of her life. Growing up in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Lazoski recalled how everyone either played or watched soccer.

“It is just what people would do,” Lazoski said.

As she grew up, Lazoski became more interested in the sport, and at the age of 11 she started playing for the Brazilian team, “Flamingo,” and eventually worked her way up through two other teams before signing with Fresno City College in Fresno, Ca. During her two years there, her team went to the state championship.

However, as her time at Fresno came to a close, Lazoski, ever the traveler, decided to look into colleges across the country before choosing FMU. But before her time at FMU could begin, this summer Lazoski was given an opportunity that many could only dream of. While home for the summer, her hometown hosted the 2016 Summer Olympics. For Lazoski, the excitement in the air was comparable only to Carnival, an event that resembles Mardi Gras. Lazoski said the atmosphere in her hometown was amazing with flags flying, Brazilians beaming with pride and the cheering of the crowds heard throughout the city.

That excited atmosphere quickly multiplied after the Brazilian men’s soccer team beat the World Cup-winning German team, Lazoski said. The win earned Brazil its very first gold medal in soccer, and the immense joy and pride radiated through Lazoski as she shared the experience. The experience was incredible, Lazoski said. She said that the country’s health hazards were listed as deplorable, but many Brazilians felt like the press made a much bigger deal out of it to simply gain attention.

“While I feel like it is important to talk about [the safety conditions of the Olympic athletes] and show the current situation in Rio de Janeiro, it was not as serious as it was made to look,” Lazoski said.

Nevertheless, the events of the summer were an incredible memory for Lazoski.

Lazoski has been red shirted for the season due to credit transfer issues, she will join the Patriots on the game field next season.