ST. LOUIS, MO (October 23, 2009) – Four years is a long time to be away from anything, especially school. Yet that is exactly how long Saint Louis Athletica’s captain has been away from the University of North Carolina. Lori Chalupny made a name for herself at North Carolina, and it was at North Carolina that she began the journey that would lead her to Olympic gold. Now, here in the fall of 2009, that journey has taken her back to Chapel Hill. Not for soccer, but to finish her undergraduate degree.

Chalupny is back on campus going to class everyday as she carries a 12-hour workload this semester. She has a total of eight classes left to complete her degree; the four she is enrolled in this fall, and four more she will complete on-line back home in St. Louis. Although Chalupny is back on familiar ground, returning to her old school wasn’t so easy. The first day of classes came with a few butterflies.

“I felt like a freshman again,” said the gold medal winner. “I was nervous walking across the quad trying to find my classes, and I had to remember where things were. I also felt very old.”

Chalupny is majoring in sociology, which she has been interested in since first enrolling at North Carolina.

“I had enjoyed the couple of sociology classes I had taken as part of my general studies. I had declared sports science as my major, but now it works out better having sociology as my major. Sociology is something I have a lot of interest in,” said Chalupny.

“I have three sociology courses and one is called Collective Behaviors and Social Movements. Plus I am taking drama as an elective, which is all about stagecraft.”

Despite Chalupny’s accomplishments, which include a 2003 NCAA National Championship and an Olympic gold medal, she is fairly anonymous.

“No, I don’t get recognized. Well, at least no one has spoken up,” said Chalupny. “But at North Carolina soccer players are fairly common, we do have a lot of them.”

Chalupny does get to interact with her old team. She also spends a lot of time with the other Tarheel alums that are back on campus.

“Because of NCAA rules I can only go to practice occasionally,” said the 2003 NCAA Champion. “I am at practice once a week, as are other alums. We usually scrimmage against the starters by jumping into the reserve team, which gives the first eleven a challenge.”

The alums Chalupny is referring to include: Heather O’Reilly, Cat Whitehill, and Kendall Fletcher. Meaning the current North Carolina starters essentially scrimmage a near WPS All-Star team every week. No easy task, but an experience that is sure to pay dividends.

With old teammates on campus the urge to socialize would seem strong, but Chalupny has conditioned herself to approach her studies like she approaches soccer.

“I probably studied a lot more this semester than any other semester I have been here,” said Chalupny. “When you are an athlete it is different, but now school is my number one priority. I sit up front in class. I participate, and I just try to be a good student.”

Chalupny came through the toughest part of any semester, exams, feeling good about being back in the academic world.

“My first couple exams I was nervous about, and I probably over studied for them. I kind of forgot what to expect,” said Chalupny. “I did well though, and I got my semester off to a good start for sure.”

It is when the classes and study sessions are over that Chalupny feels just a little different. After all, she has traveled the world several times over since she was last a student.

“It is kind of weird. I hang out at different places now that I am older,” said the 25 year-old. ”I love Chapel Hill. Being here has been more fun than I expected. I was kind of dreading it at first, but it has been good.”

Chalupny, along with her Saint Louis Athletica teammate Hope Solo, is currently in Germany preparing to face the German Women’s National Team in Augsburg, Bavaria on October 29. The U.S. Women’s National Team will face the reigning world champions in an international friendly. Chalupny and Solo are expected to be in the starting lineup for the match.