Freshman Stephanie Kalinowski was born with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD), the fourth leading cause of kidney failure. Despite her diagnosis, Kalinowski has not allowed her kidneys to slow her down. A strong PKD advocate and freshman soccer goalie, her kidneys are the last thing on Kalinowski’s mind.

PKD is a genetic kidney disease in which, Kalinowski explained, “You get cysts, like little bubbles on your kidneys, and if your kidneys work too hard, they can pop.”

The popping of these cysts can lead to kidney failure, and there is no method of removing these cysts.

A strong advocate for herself and others living with the disease, Kalinowski doesn’t let her diagnosis hold her back.  

After her diagnosis in 2004, doctors warned Kalinowski of the dangers of contact sports, how one strong hit can lead to kidney failure.

“You’re not supposed to play contact sports because the bubbles, they can pop if they’re pushed on,”  Kalinowski said.

However, the doctor’s warnings didn’t affect Kalinowski’s love for soccer.

“They [were] against [me being a] goalie, which is by far my favorite position. I kind of just ignored it. I understood the risks but wasn’t going to let PKD take away a big part of me.”

Being the goalie means constantly dodging the hurdling soccer ball; Kalinowski risks a lot to play her favorite game.

“When I play soccer, PKD is the farthest thing from my mind,” Kalinowski said.” I’m thinking about the angle of the ball, me, and the goal, whether or not to dive, when the player is going to shoot, not how careful I need to be with my kidneys.”

This September, Kalinowski participated for her tenth year in a row in the “The Walk for PKD,” the PKD foundation’s largest annual fundraising event. Her team, “Steppin’ for Stephie” has raised $120,000 towards PKD research. The money made from the walks makes up one third of the annual PKD budget.

Kalinowski reflected that, “I wish [others] knew that a.), I’m not dying from PKD. I have it, and I live with it, but I’m not dying. And b.), even though it’s not killing me, it’s killing others and that’s why we need to find a cure.”