Charles Gawlik, Staff Photographer

It may sound strange, but Kristin Olafsdottir might be too determined.

The San Diego State freshman heptathlete ignores pain and pushes herself beyond the limits of “normal.” She is so intense on the track that her teammates have nicknamed her “The Machine.”

“With Kristin, you have to save her from herself because she will run through a brick wall,” head coach Rahn Sheffield said.

Added assistant coach Jennifer Nanista: “My only worry (with Olafsdottir) is that she’ll try to do too much. Sometimes I have to ask her to be smart about the decisions that she’s making and to be honest with us if she’s (injured).”

Honesty, however, may not be the best policy for Olafsdottir – at least in the short run.

Earlier this season, Olafsdottir proved that this “machine” can produce, when she earned a provisional qualifying mark for the NCAA Tournament in the heptathlon and in the NCAA regional championship in the 4×400 relay and the 400-meter hurdles.

All with a lingering foot injury.

“She’s not the kind of person that’s going to dodge competition,” Sheffield said. “She’ll knock on the door, and if you don’t answer, she’ll knock it down.”

Added Olafsdottir: “I know I’m very hard working, and when it comes to pain, I don’t pay attention to it until later.”

Right before any big event, “The Machine” analytically breaks down the competition to maximize her efficiency and output.

“She’s a very technical athlete,” Sheffield said. “With running forms, sprinting forms, throwing forms, jumping forms, hurdling forms, she’s a machine. She likes to get things right.”

But Olafsdottir doesn’t just work hard during competitions, she shows up to work every day in practice.

“She’s definitely on the track more than anyone else,” Sheffield said. “When you take on the heptathlon, you spend your life on the track.”

But the life before she signed up at SDSU was somewhat of a question mark.

Though Olafsdottir posted decent marks in her hometown of Reykjavik, Iceland, she didn’t attract much attention from top-tier track programs in the United States.

After watching video footage of her, the Aztec coaching staff decided she had enough potential to merit a scholarship.

“(We) felt that with some development and bringing her in an environment more conducive to training, she would thrive,” Nanista said.

Added assistant coach Michael LoBue: “In all of her events, she had a very solid technique.”

Once she arrived stateside, though, the coaches quickly realized that she didn’t need that much training.

“Coaches bring out what you already have inside you,” Sheffield said. “We just (highlighted) what she already had in her. Kristin was born with the right stuff.”

Added Nanista: “There’s something inside of her. It’s her competitiveness, it’s her work ethic, it’s the ‘it’ factor that you can’t coach, and she has it.”

And SDSU coaches think that “it” isn’t over.

“With Kristin, the sky’s the limit,” Sheffield said. “This young lady trains with no limitations ? I’m not going to coach her with any limitations.

“She’s writing her own story now.”

So far, it’s been quite a story.