Vitoria Raymond '15 Recruiting Profile

My goals are to perform at the best of my ability on the track and in the classroom. I like to apply what I learn on the track in the classroom. For example, one change in track can shave seconds off your time. In the classroom, changing a study habit can bring your grade from a B to an A.  I aspire to be a role model to my teammates by displaying a positive attitude. A positive attitude can get you anywhere in life. If you're in the starting line of a race standing next to a girl who is maybe a little bit better than you but has a negative attitude toward the race, you have a much higher change of winning because of your positive attitude. It can boost your energy and make you more determined to beat the person next to you. Positive energy rubs off on your teammates as well. I know this from past experience. This past spring my team won the city meet and no one was expecting it. Me and a few  other girls gave the team a pep talk and boosted their confidence. I make a good candidate for the Merrimack team because I have the drive, passion, and determination to win. In the spring of 2013, I tore my ACL while practicing long jump. I needed surgery and I would be out for six months. This devastated me because the outdoor season had just started and I would have to miss the cross country season in the fall. I decided to work hard at recovering. I ended being almost recovered four months after the surgery. I worked so hard in physical therapy and did my exercises every single day. Some of my coaches told me I wouldn't run as fast, but I came back stronger than ever. That winter I PR'd in the 55m dash with 7.5 and made it to the divisional meet, along with my 4x100m team. I won MVP for the indoor season just after two months of being cleared from therapy. That following spring I PR'd in the 200m at the Nashua North Invitational with 27.80 placing 2nd over all. I ran the 400m in the city for the first time ever without any training. I ran 104.4. One of my goals this year is to run the 400m under 60 seconds which according to my coaches and I, is achievable. This past spring my 4x100m made it to the Divisional I meet placing sixth over all. We qualified for the Meet of Champions. This was impressive because the girls 4x100m team from memorial has never made it there before. We were seeded 13th out of 16 teams but placed 8th over with the time of 51.16. We worked so hard to make it to the Meet of Champions and that is one of my biggest accomplishments. After my recovery, I displayed a positive energy on my team and my teammates admired me for that. My injury not only made me faster, but made me realize how fortunate I am to be able to run track and be good at it. It also made me a mentally tougher runner. The pain hurts in practice and in races but you have to suck it up if you want to become better. I work harder than anyone I know to be the best I can be and that's what makes me different from other athletes. I am willing to do anything to make myself a better runner and student.