The Cowgirl Way: Lauren Bay Regula

Oklahoma State University is a unique place that touches the hearts of many people.

What you will find is that once people step foot in Stillwater, Oklahoma, they find it hard to leave.

In the case of Cowgirl softball legend Lauren Bay (now Regula), her official visit to OSU was merely a formality at the time. With one official visit left to make, Regula was not truly considering attending Oklahoma State. However, her plans would change.

Regula recalls the phone call she made to her parents while visiting Stillwater, and how shocked they were that she decided to become a Cowgirl. After all, the trip was supposed to be, as Regula describes it, a "why not?" trip to conclude her visits.

"I got on campus and I just felt at home," Regula said. "It had that type of magnetic pull to me personally."

Regula's decision ultimately landed her all over the OSU record books and ended with her name and jersey number retired and displayed on the left field wall of Cowgirl Stadium alongside the program's all-time elite performers. Her success did not come without obstacles and hardships, but she was able to make it through the roller coaster ride with a great support system by her side.

"By my senior season I was who I was," Regula said. "That was because of all of the challenges, and it was because of the support from my coaches, and I'm a pitcher, it was definitely because of my catcher Ryan Realmuto."

Since leaving Stillwater as the single-game, single-season, and career strikeout leader, Regula has gone on to play in two Olympic Games for Team Canada (2004 and 2008), become a mother of three, and started her own business with her husband, David.

Despite all of the things in her daily life that keep her busy, Regula has returned over the last few years to something that is a part of her identity…softball. She is currently training and competing to earn a spot on Team Canada for the 2021 Olympic Games.

At this point in her life, unlike her first two trips to the Olympics when she was fresh out of college and still solely focused on the game, the decision to make the commitment to compete for a spot at the upcoming Games was a difficult one.

"I had a lot of emotions," Regula said. "There were both sides of the coin for me. I wanted to inspire my kids and show them that they can dream big, but on the other hand, I asked myself, am I being selfish? There was a lot of internal struggle and guilt."

Ultimately, for Regula, the sacrifice is worth it, and she sees it as an opportunity to possibly rewrite her Olympic ending with Team Canada, which ended with a loss in the bronze medal game in 2004, and she wants to be a good role model for her kids.

"I think it is really inauthentic to tell my kids to chase their dreams and that they can do whatever they want because I really do believe that, and not go ahead and do that myself."

Regula credits another life altering decision that she and her husband made seven years ago as the reason she is able to train at an Olympic level. She and David chose to move to from Chicago to Akron, Ohio, to raise their family and open their own business. Opening their own fitness facility, TrAk Athletics, was another tough decision that Regula is thankful their family made.

"Without that decision being made seven years ago, I definitely would not be here because the fact that we do own our own business, although it is a lot of load, I have the ability to make my own schedule," Regula said.

In her free time, Regula still finds time to cheer on the Oklahoma State softball team, she still represents the Orange and Black, and she will always be a part of the Cowgirl family.

"Everything I am still training for today, it began at Oklahoma State."

If she had one piece of advice for the Cowgirls of today, what would it be? She would tell them to stop and take in the moments because they will come to an end, and that the relationships are what they will remember long after their playing days are over.

"You don't know what you don't know," Regula said. "You don't know how important and impactful the memories that you are making and the experiences that you are having are."

Looking back with a smile, Regula says that it is easier now to realize that her time at Oklahoma State created some of the best moments of her life, even in the most difficult times.

"There are going to be moments where it is a struggle, but they are some of the most amazing memories," Regula said. "Just sit back every once in a while, and look around because those moments do end. Sometimes they feel like they are never going to end, but they do, and they are some of the best moments of my life."

Watch the full interview here: Lauren Bay Regula Interview

Oklahoma State University Athletics

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