With much of the athletic year up in the air, some North Carolina athletes have been placed in unique situations.
Like many students at UNC, some international athletes have decided to stay home during the fall semester, while balancing the responsibility of staying prepared for a potential playing season by continuing to train.
Krista Junkkari, a sophomore on UNC’s women’s golf team, is spending the fall semester in her home country, Finland.
“I kind of made my decision before we knew that we wouldn’t be able to compete this fall,” Junkkari said. “Hearing that news that we are not gonna be able to compete as a team was just like a last statement for me to be very sure that I'm gonna stay at home.”
Despite being away from Chapel Hill, Junkkari has participated in tournaments during her time outside the US to get some additional competition.
“I wasn’t able to go into national league to play tournaments, but I did manage to play tournaments in Finland and I got to compete against professionals who play on European tour and European access tour so that’s some valuable experience that I really liked to have," Junkkari said.
Being back at home, Junkkari can see people she normally would not see as often, though she also recognizes her other responsibilities as an athlete to train and prepare for the spring.
She plans to return in January and participate in the women's golf season during the spring semester, but nothing is set in stone yet.
Luis Castro, a junior on the men’s golf team, also decided to stay in his home country, the Philippines, for the fall semester.