FIAT Feature: Krystina Kleszcz

I'm Krystyna Kleszcz from Warsaw, Poland and I'm a former trampoline national gymnast...

I graduated in economics, and for the past 3 years, I’ve been working as a flight attendant. Recently, my life changed and now I find myself living in Rome for the whole academic year. I’m currently a student of John Paul II Studies at the Angelicum Pontifical University here in Rome. I love traveling, knitting, cleaning, and doing (almost) every kind of sport :)

My FIAT - the FIAT is a project Fellows create to help spread virtue back home after the Immersion in Rome  

After my Truth & Beauty Project Immersion, I created a “Ladies’ Athletic Club" since I recognized that we need to remember that taking care of our physical health is also crucial to our Christian lives. I decided to dedicate it specifically to woman. It is a community where woman could meet each other frequently discussing, sharing or even recognizing our femininity. And what is more feminine than knowing your own body and taking care of it which later will be carrying another human being? :) It prommotes a safe, feminine, community-focused Catholic female lifestyle for women who want to stay fit and healthy, whilee participatinh in various athletic disciplines.

As an ex-professional athlete I feel concerned every time I see physical education left out of Catholic societies and communities. We speak about spiritual and intellectual improvement which is of course extremely important, but we often forget that we are psychophysical beings. Jesus' incarnation raised the importance of the human body. Physical activity acquires a deeper dimension as it becomes not only a means of maintaining good physical condition, but also a tool for shaping character and developing virtues. Pope John Paul II

repeatedly emphasized that the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit and therefore should be treated with due dignity and care. In his address to soccer players in February 1982, Saint John Paul II stated that “sport, by its very nature, is a school of virtues.” He often highlighted that physical effort, especially when it requires sacrifice, discipline, and patience, can be compared to a person’s spiritual journey toward holiness. Through the words of Saint Paul, “Therefore glorify God in your body,” the Church encourages care for the body as an essential element of the human person. Physical activity can thus be a way of fulfilling the biblical call to care for the body—its development, but also a deeper understanding of it, both in terms of its capabilities and its limitations. Finally, sport also protects against the threats of the modern world by fostering relationships and cooperation. 

My TBP Mentor - each Fellow works with a mentor for 6 months for guidance to make the FIAT Project a reality

My FIAT mentor is Katie Ascough. Katie is an incredibly warm and supportive person with extensive knowledge in the field of organizational development. I feel she was the perfect mentor for me, especially because she is a former professional gymnast who represented the USA. As a gymnast myself, I truly believe that no one understands a gymnast better than someone who has lived the same experience. Working together has brought great value not only to my project, “Ladies’ Athletic Club”, but also to my personal life. Katie continuously encourages me, helps me see things from a broader perspective, and supports me in developing both my ideas and my confidence. She is also a true role model for me. I deeply admire how she balances motherhood, family life, and her professional career, while still finding time and energy to guide me in my project! Her compassion—not only toward her children and husband, but toward every human being—is a constant source of inspiration for me.

While I’ve already created a Ladies’ Athletic Club in Poland I’m thinking of creating sister one here in Rome. I would love to extend it to a larger network and reach a bigger audience and bring more woman together who are seeking a safe, feminine, community-focused Catholic female lifestyle while staying fit and healthy, practicing many different sport disciplines. It would be great being able to experience outside types of activities like horseback riding or kayaking together with other women.

My TBP experience - Young adults between 18 and 30 who are selected receive a scholarship to participate in a week-long TBP faith Immersion in Rome

TBP was definitely eye-opening. The project opened my eyes to seeing God not as an abstract idea but as someone living and real. It connected my mind and heart in a way that I had never experience before. TBP united faith, beauty and knowledge. It’s not just about visiting holy places - it’s about understanding them deeply, discovering the symbols and meaning behind every church, saint and artwork. It helps encounter God in a complete way - intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. It’s an occasion to spend time with peers, get to know each other, know each other’s stories, and create connections for the future!

Life after a TBP Immersion

A year later, I still feel the change — I see God in art and people, and I keep growing from what I learned there. This project helped me implement my idea that had been growing in my mind for few years before and finally thanks to the TBP and because of the huge help and support from John and Ashley and from my own mentor, I was able to fulfill my idea, my mission. I created my own project which is called Ladies’ Athletic Club which I have been running for over half a year now. And finally thanks to my project I moved to Rome, so TBP ha been a really life changing experience.