Becca Yowler, the arts and humanities lead in research and instruction at the University Library, competed in the 2024 Summer Iowa Games figure skating competition on July 13, 2024, in Ames, Iowa. She earned a medal in the Adult Bronze Emotional Showcase.
“She executed her performance with grace and skill and demonstrated a mastery of the sport,” said Kiran Digavalli, an Iowa State University student and spectator at the event.
Yowler skated to Brittany Howard's rendition of "You'll Never Walk Alone," representing both the Ames Figure Skating Club and the Central Iowa Figure Skating Club, where she is a member and coach. She described her routine, performed with a delicate kite, as a tribute to her late grandmother, highlighting her technical skill and emotional depth.
Yowler began ice skating during her college years at Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, where she and her friends took figure skating lessons to fulfill athletic credits. This experience sparked a passion for it, leading her to rejoin the ice skating community in 2009 with an adult synchronized skating team.
"Her work as a librarian and figure skater demonstrates a balance between intellectual and sporting pursuits, as well as hard work and dedication," said Jenni Diaz Garcia, library outreach specialist at the University Library.
In addition to competing, Yowler attended the event to support one of her students, who was competing for the first time. Under Yowler's guidance, the student won a medal, marking a successful debut.