For the past seven years, ESPN The Magazine has dedicated one issue a year to recognizing an athlete's most valuable tool: their bodies. The 2015 issue featured Penn State alum and World Cup champ Ali Krieger, WNBA star Brittney Griner, swimmer Natalie Coughlin, Nationals outfielder Bryce Harper and Cleveland Cavalier Kevin Love, among others.
For the first time since 2010, a member of the Lancaster-based U.S. women's national field hockey team was featured in the annual edition.
Pennsylvania native Paige Selenski, who played at Dallas High School in Luzerne County, posed with a wooden field hockey stick in this year's edition and discussed using her speed in game play, her love of HGTV, training with the Navy Seals and potentially trying out for the bobsled team.
Selenski, 24, is a University of Virginia graduate and has 106 caps for the national team. She joined the squad in 2009 and took a year off from UVA to train for the 2012 Olympics.
She answered quick questions for PennLive.com while prepping for the Pan American Games this month.
PennLive: How did you get involved with the Body Issue and why were you interested in participating?
Paige Selenski: Field hockey isn't typically a popular sport in the United States, so I mainly wanted to represent my entire team, the sport and the body of a field hockey player.
Paige Selenski: Field hockey isn't typically a popular sport in the United States, so I mainly wanted to represent my entire team, the sport and the body of a field hockey player.
PL: What was the experience like posing and coordinating the photo shoot?
PS: When I was first asked to take part in the Body Issue, I was extremely excited for the opportunity. But, as the date of the photo shoot got closer and closer, I started to get cold feet a bit. Even though the photos are taken tastefully, it's kind of a big deal to pose naked for a magazine. It was probably the most intense photo shoot I've ever been part of. It took about 6 hours with 20 people on site for various things (hair, make-up, photography, and film). Overall, the experience was fun and one I will remember for the rest of my life.
PS: When I was first asked to take part in the Body Issue, I was extremely excited for the opportunity. But, as the date of the photo shoot got closer and closer, I started to get cold feet a bit. Even though the photos are taken tastefully, it's kind of a big deal to pose naked for a magazine. It was probably the most intense photo shoot I've ever been part of. It took about 6 hours with 20 people on site for various things (hair, make-up, photography, and film). Overall, the experience was fun and one I will remember for the rest of my life.
PL: Why do you think it is important for female athletes to participate in the Body Issue?
PS: Athletes put a lot of work into their bodies on a daily basis, so I think it's important for that to be celebrated. People on the outside don't always get to see the hard work we endure to perform in our sports. Every athlete's body is unique, and it's exciting to see the different types of bodies for different sports.
PS: Athletes put a lot of work into their bodies on a daily basis, so I think it's important for that to be celebrated. People on the outside don't always get to see the hard work we endure to perform in our sports. Every athlete's body is unique, and it's exciting to see the different types of bodies for different sports.
PL: What do you hope your feature in the magazine does for the visibility of USA Field Hockey on the national level?
PS: It's one of our goals on the national team to grow the game, and hopefully opportunities like these will help raise the visibility off field hockey in the United States. One thing that is so great about the Body Issue is its diversity. They feature well-known sports like baseball, football and basketball, but they also feature other sports, like field hockey, that are in the growing phase.
PS: It's one of our goals on the national team to grow the game, and hopefully opportunities like these will help raise the visibility off field hockey in the United States. One thing that is so great about the Body Issue is its diversity. They feature well-known sports like baseball, football and basketball, but they also feature other sports, like field hockey, that are in the growing phase.
PL: What do you hope young, sports-minded girls take away from you and other female athletes being featured in the issue?
PS: Thankfully, my parents blessed me with athleticism, but that athleticism was useless without hard work. My track coach used to tell me that some people are talented, others are hard workers. Then, there are the few that are talented and hard workers. Those are the ones where the possibilities are endless, and every day, I strive to be that type of athlete.
PS: Thankfully, my parents blessed me with athleticism, but that athleticism was useless without hard work. My track coach used to tell me that some people are talented, others are hard workers. Then, there are the few that are talented and hard workers. Those are the ones where the possibilities are endless, and every day, I strive to be that type of athlete.
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