Grinder (GRAHYN-der, noun): 1. A name for a submarine sandwich that is used mainly in the state of Connecticut. 2. A hard worker, someone who gets knocked down, falls down, gets back up and never lets up.

While Southington, CT native Kaitlyn Bertola has certainly sampled the state sandwich, it is that second definition that best characterizes the senior captain of the Rutgers gymnastics team and EcoAthletes’ newest Champion.

“My mom was a high school gymnast, so I guess it was natural that my parents got me started in it when I was three,” shared Bertola. “I’ve loved it for as far back as I can remember; it’s the only sport I ever played, especially the consistent hard work that’s involved. I always knew I wanted to be a college gymnast!”

While balance beam was her favorite discipline at first, Bertola found herself gravitating towards the uneven bars.

“I didn’t like the bars growing up but as time went on, I became drawn to the exhilaration and the demands of it,” she reported. “As my mentality altered about bars and the more I worked at it, the more confident I got and the more I loved it.”

Club rather than high school gymnastics offered Bertola the highest level of competition and coaching. This put her on the collegiate gymnastics track from her freshman year.

“I made my first college visits as a freshman but because of an injury in my sophomore year, my recruitment was put on hold,” recalled Bertola. “Rutgers came on my radar when I was a junior and I fell in love with all of it when I visited as a senior: the team, the coaching staff, the campus, the academics, and its location in Central New Jersey: close to home and New York City.”

A walk-on — meaning she did not receive an athletics scholarship to the Rutgers, Bertola’s transition from club to Division I collegiate gymnastics was not an easy one. That meant just one thing: More grinding.

“Oh, I thought I had it all figured out when I got to Rutgers, but the adjustment was a big one,” she acknowledged. “One thing that helped a lot was that the team had my back. This was different from club in high school. There, you were really on your own.”

The COVID-19 pandemic slowed Bertola’s, as her freshman (’19-’20) and sophomore (‘20-’21) seasons were impacted: “We could only be in contact with our team members, had to wear masks all the time. But I did the only thing I knew how to do: work. I got stronger physically and better technically.”

Her grinding paid off as Bertola made her first appearance in the Rutgers competitive lineup as a junior.

“I got into the lineup for our big meet with Ohio State,” said the journalism and media studies major. “I was confident going into my bars routine and I nailed it. There is nothing better than when you hit on a good routine and your teammates go crazy!”

Rutgers’ gymnastics head coach Umme Salim-Beasley noticed that Bertola’s hard work had rubbed off on the team.

“Kaitlyn’s work ethic and leadership has had such a positive impact on the rest of the team,” Salim-Beasley shared. “That’s why it was an easy decision for me to make her a team captain for the upcoming season.”

Not surprisingly, Bertola’s goals are high for herself and the team as she heads into her senior campaign.

“Individually, I want to break a 9.8 score on the bars; last season I got close with a 9.75,” she asserted. “For the team, we are aiming high: to make the NCAA Regionals for the first time since I’ve been here!”

Bertola is also aiming high on the #ClimateComeback. She came to her interest in the environment and climate change through her passion for healthy eating.

“It was an evolution for me,” she said. “I started by ‘buying organic’, then I got into recycling and reusing, then I began to walk to class. And then, as I became more aware of climate change, my horizons expanded, and I started to read more. That lead me to become very interested in ocean pollution and how to reverse it, as well as in making cities more pedestrian-friendly.”

Becoming an EcoAthletes Champion was a logical next step.

“It is so great to join a group of athletes, from all over the world, from many different sports, all working together to make a real difference on climate change,” said Bertola. “This will help make me more aware of what I can do as individual, with my team and beyond.”

Caitlyn Bertola celebrates after nailing her dismount from the uneven bars during a Big Five meet at Toledo, Ohio (Video credit: Cory Pontarollo)

As you might expect, to EcoAthletes founder Lew Blaustein, a Rutgers alum and Connecticut native, is excited Bertola’s addition to the Champions roster.

“The #ClimateComeback is of course a very hard fight,” Blaustein admitted. “That’s why we need grinders like Kaitlyn to continue to work, through disappointment and frustration, to make sure athletes maximize their influence on the climate fight. We are glad to have her as an EcoAthletes Champion!”

You can follow Kaitlyn on Instagram