The women are very close to one another and we all work towards a common goal. It is very team-oriented. None of this success, however, comes without commitment and hard work. Few spectators realize that the sport involves a year-round training program. Participants in women's track start serious conditioning in September with running and weight training.
Throwers do weight workouts three days a week, and throwing drills for two.
Once the indoor season starts in the winter, conditioning is kept up just enough to maintain strength but not tire athletes out for competitions. The program is similar in the spring. Over the summer, dedicated athletes continue running and lifting. Such dedication results in those one or two moments when a Heptagonal title is captured, a record established, or a victory is notched at the Penn Relays. When Botelho is asked, she responds by talking about her time at Penn overall, not just as a place where she plays a team sport.