University of Dallas athletes come from all walks of life and diverse backgrounds. In a conversation with any team member, you can get a sense of how different they are from each other while remaining united in the love of their game.
While these differences tend to be on the order of hailing from various U.S. states and economic circumstances, there are also some students who come from a background that is truly unlike anything you might hear from other team players.
Freshman Alex Bozhilov is a truly unique addition to UD’s athletic community, coming from Sofia, Bulgaria to run for the Crusaders track team.
When asked about his background, Bozhilov said, “My environment in Bulgaria was very sports-based and everything in my life was focused on sports, racing, or training… My career in sports started with swimming, at the age of four, then moved to triathlon when I was around 15 and with that I started competitively running on the side. I saw that I have potential in that field and went on to start running more seriously than before, resulting in a few national level wins and an overall huge improvement.”
Alex Bozhilov credits his brother, Petar Bozhilov, an NCAA Division 1 swimmer for Southern Methodist University, for an immense degree of support and encouragement in deciding to come to UD.
When asked about his brother’s help, Alex Bozhilov said, “With lots of research and help from my brother, I found UD to be the best option for me, as it is fairly close to him, has strong academics and is an overall small and positively minded community, aligning perfectly with my preferences. Petar definitely helped me a ton with all the steps throughout the process, which I’m very grateful for. The toughest for me was the repetitiveness of all the work and documentation that had to be done with all the steps accompanying it, it was pretty hard and boring.”
Petar Bozhilov above all acknowledged what a difficult period of adjustment Alex Bozhilov would have to face in coming to the United States and attending a university in a foreign country, especially one as unique as UD.
Reflecting on these challenges, Petar Bozhilov said, “As you can imagine, it’s incredibly challenging for someone coming from overseas to navigate the entire process—figuring out the necessary documentation, scheduling classes, preparing for visa interviews, and managing travel logistics. I was able to guide Alex through each step, ensuring he had a smooth start at UD. This involved everything from two-hour Zoom calls at midnight to screen share class schedules, to visa interview preparation and conducting mock interviews. I also sent detailed emails with step-by-step instructions on how to handle various tasks. It has been, and continues to be, a rewarding journey! It was challenging for me, and I’m sure it’s equally challenging for Alex. The cultural differences can be intense—it took me five years to fully adapt and feel like a ‘native.’ Being part of the swim team at SMU and constantly surrounded by American friends definitely helped me acclimate more quickly.”
Alex Bozhilov’s proudest moment in his career as a runner was placing fifth at the Indoor Balkan U20 Track and Field Championship in the 3000m in 2023. He also had an excellent performance this past Saturday, Sept. 28, at Nicholls State in Louisiana.
Facing a large pool of NCAA Division 1 competitors, including many from the University of Alabama, Alex Bolzhinov rose above the competition and won 11th place. At this race, he broke the University of Dallas’ record for the four mile race at 20 minutes and 11 seconds, previously set by Matt Connolly at the Southwestern Christian Invitational in Terrell, Texas in 1979 at 21 minutes and 16 seconds.
When reflecting on how far each of them have come in this journey, Petar Bozhilov said, “I believe we’ve connected on a much deeper level. There was a lot of back-and-forth and strategizing throughout his recruitment process, which brought us closer.
Now, living together and figuring things out on our own, separated from our parents, has strengthened that bond. We even share a fair amount of housekeeping responsibilities. Alex, don’t forget, it’s your turn to take out the trash this week!”
Alex Bozhilov’s contribution to the university’s track and field team along with his incredible story are enormous additions to the UD community, and his older brother was an instrumental part of that equation. As a freshman who has already smashed a record that was 45 years old, it is safe to say that Alex Bozhilov’s potential is an exciting addition to the athletics community, and the story of his journey is a valuable perspective for UD students overall.