Sometimes, that fit can come from somewhere unexpected, as was the case for Tresnjo. "Mizzou came totally out of the blue. Missouri was not on my radar at all, but from the first contact with Mizzou, I clicked with the coach and I just knew this was the right school for me. They had the major I wanted (mechanical engineering) and really great support for student athletes. The jumps group was smaller, about 8-10 athletes, very focused and half of the group were international athletes."
As for what she hopes to achieve this summer before heading off to Mizzou, Tresnjo has set the bar high. She had the goal of making Team BC again for the Bell Canadian Track and Field U20 National Championships; this became a reality when Tresnjo put on the provincial singlet, representing BC well as she placed fourth at the championship. She subsequently hopes to make the National Team for the World U20 Championships, to be held in Peru in August. Tresnjo has already achieved the standard.
When asked for her advice to her younger athletic self and young athletes who want to follow in her footsteps, Tresnjo reflects on the reason she was drawn to the sport in the first place: for the fun of it. "I would not tell my younger self to go to more training or take it seriously sooner, as - knowing myself - that would have made me more likely to quit. I took the progression at my own pace. The only thing I would really say is that it's ok to miss training if I'm not feeling well."
She also advises that young athletes not put their eggs in one basket too soon: "Have fun. Try events you have never tried before. Try it all. Don't specialize too early. Track and field is such an event-diverse sport; younger athletes should really try to take advantage of that. Don't just do the event that you're good at; do the events you enjoy doing as well."