Elizabethtown College has produced a plethora of talented athletes throughout the years. Pam Boteler ‘90 is a perfect example.

Boteler played four sports during her time at Etown and competed in many championships, including the 1989 NCAA Division III National Basketball Championship. She also participated as an all-region runner for the cross-country team of 1987. Boteler was an integral part of Etown’s first women’s club soccer team. 

Etown sports were only the beginning for Boteler, though, as she went on to have an extremely successful career after graduation. She became the first woman to compete in the U.S. National Sprint Canoe Championship in 2000, where she won gold and bronze medals.

She also participated in three World Canoe championships and five Pan American Championships to win a total of 11 international medals. She became the first woman in the world to compete in an ICF (International Canoe Federation) sanctioned marathon event in the Canoe Marathon World Championship. Boteler proudly earned 35 U.S. National Championships titles and was undefeated in the women’s Conference 1 1000m event as well as the Conference 1 500 & 200m events of 2000-2008. Boteler continues to be an advocate for the inclusion of women in sports worldwide.

“The motto ‘educate for service’ planted the seed for service motivation,” Boteler said when reflecting on her time at Etown. “I learned over the years to think outside myself and think about being a part of things bigger than I am for the good of others.”