Athletics

Distance Running · Grade 9–present

Without club tennis, I looked for a sport that needed nothing but a pair of shoes. In Grade 9, I started distance running. Running through Ankara changed how I saw the city: I began noticing how the presence or absence of sidewalks, parks, and clean air shapes whether a neighborhood can stay healthy. Later, at the Heart Center, I watched Prof. Sayın ask patients about their commutes and neighborhoods, and the two ideas came together in my research on cities and heart health.

I’ve run a 5 km race in Ankara (Ankararun) and the 9 km Bilkent road race. My next goal is a half marathon on November 11, 2026. 

Tennis · 2016–present

I started tennis in July 2016 and played Turkish Tennis Federation (TTF) junior tournaments in Ankara.

• Runner-up, TTF 8-9-10 Weekend Tournament (girls 9), December 2018

• Runner-up, TTF 12-and-under Weekday Tournament (girls, Group 8), June 2019

• Consolation winner, TTF 8-9-10 Summer Cup 2 (girls 10), July 2019

When the pandemic stopped competition in 2020, the cost of competitive training kept me from going back. But I never stopped playing: I taught tennis to younger children in 2023–24, and in my final year I founded the BLIS Tennis Working Group (informal), where we play every week for free (see Leadership & Service).