Karia Races Toward a Stronger Tomorrow
SALISBURY, MD---For Karia Forvil, the track isn’t just a place to train for the next competition. It’s the place she breathes a little deeper, thinks a little clearer, and feels most like herself. The moment her spikes hit the surface, everything else—the noise, the expectations, the stress of the day—falls away. What’s left is motion, purpose, and a reminder of how far she’s already come.
Coming from Vero Beach, Florida, Karia arrived at Salisbury University planning to become a nurse, but something didn’t quite click. She loved helping people, but her heart kept pulling her toward movement—toward the track, and a future where she could help others feel strong in their own bodies. That’s when she found exercise science.
“Switching my major changed everything,” Karia said. “I realized I wanted to be an athletic trainer. It fits me so well. I love understanding how the body works, how to push it, and how to help it recover.”
The shift brought clarity, but the real transformation happened on the track.
Karia is one of the captains of SU’s sprint team, a role she never predicted for herself but now embraces with passion.
“I think of track as a team sport, even if you run individually,” she said. “As captain, I want everyone to feel included. We do team bonding events, hype each other up, and learn from each other. Even when someone beats me, I’m inspired by them. It pushes me to grow.”
That culture of support and drive has paid off in big ways. Sometimes, Karia says, the SU sprinters even outperform Division I and Division II competitors. But for her, the most meaningful victories aren’t in the times or the medals. They’re in the feeling she gets when she realizes she’s stronger than she was the day before.
“It’s so rewarding to see myself improve. I feel so alive when I get on the track,” she says. “Running motivates me to be better—not just in class, but in my personal life, too.”
Karia carries that drive into everything she does. She leads with empathy. She competes with heart. She pushes herself, and her teammates, to rise to the moment. With every lap and every lift, she’s shaping a future built on confidence, community and the joy of movement.
“SU gave me a head start,” she says. “I had help with everything I needed: academics, adjusting to my new life, and finding community. SU gave me a support system that made me feel like I could do anything.”
That tomorrow she’s racing toward? It’s fast, fearless and filled with possibility.