Making My Younger Self Proud

Champions’ TriBUne is a special feature produced by Baylor Athletics that shares the student-athlete’s story in their own words. Dominika Silvestri, B.B.A. ‘23, earned NCEA first-team All-America honors as an equestrian athlete and was named the 2023 Big 12 Flat Rider of the Year. Dominika has already completed her undergraduate degree in finance and marketing, but she plans to return for her fifth year of eligibility with Baylor Equestrian.

The opportunity to be a Baylor Bear has been one of the greatest opportunities of my life, but the journey to where I am today all started with a little girl and her love for horses.

Throughout my past four years at one of the most elite universities in the country, I have had one goal: to make my younger self proud. Deep down, there is a little girl inside of me who spent her Saturdays going to the grocery store with her dad, not just to steal a cheese stick to snack on while shopping, but to ride the coin-operated pony ride outside. Twenty-five cents every Saturday soon turned into a much larger investment.

At 7 years old, I got one of the best Christmas gifts a girl could ask for — a pony. I never thought that a childhood dream of riding horses would turn into what it has. If someone had told me four years ago that I would be wrapping up my senior season as an All-American, I would have told you that they were crazy.

Riding horses has always been a family affair for the Silvestris. I am the fifth generation on my mother’s side to grow up around horses. My mom was the only one of her sisters who continued to ride while growing up, and she later shared her passion with me. My dad spent his younger years around a different breed of horses. In his early 20s, he purchased some racehorses and began to breed and sell them.

Riding for Baylor had always been a dream of mine. I grew up around Tyler Bui, B.A. ’21;  Sarah Boral, B.B.A. ’21; and Marissa Kinnally, B.B.A. ’18, who are all Baylor Equestrian alumni. They were some of my biggest role models riding before college, so going to Baylor like they did was exactly what I wanted to do. Once I stepped foot onto the Baylor campus during my senior year of high school, I knew I was exactly where I was meant to be. All the hard work and sacrifices I made growing up — missing school events and spending all my free time at the barn — had paid off.

This year’s team was one of the best versions of Baylor Equestrian that I have seen. The confidence and consistency of every girl this year led us to some big moments. One of my first memories of the year was when I was told I would be on the promotional poster for the year. The 21-year-old me was freaking out, so I knew that 12-year-old me would be so proud.

We had some nice wins and some tough losses, but the team never gave up. The drive and passion were still the same as they were when the year started. At the end of our regular season, my record was 11-2 in Flat, which is one of the best seasons in school history. Knowing I was able to accomplish that was an exciting feeling for sure, but the job was not done.

Reflecting on the year altogether made me so grateful for the experiences I have been given. All I wanted was to be on the poster, but I achieved that goal and many more.

Looking back on this season, I know that my younger self would be so proud of me. The past four years have been far from easy, but I would not have wanted it to be any other way. I am incredibly grateful to have spent the past four years learning and growing at one of the best universities in the country and look forward to taking my fifth year with Baylor Equestrian. College athletics can be intense, but the result is so rewarding. Don’t forget to soak up all the moments and make your younger self proud.

For Silvestri’s full story and other Champions’ TriBUne features, visit baylorbears.com/sports/champions-tribune.