- 2021 Spotlight
Personal Statement
I love running. I enjoy all three seasons of running: the tough courses of cross country, short track of indoor, and the hot weather of outdoor. Running in new places is fun, and there are so many great places across the US to run. I like the freedom that running gives you, you can run almost anywhere and just let your mind wander. The thing that sticks out the most to me about running is that anybody can do it. You can be a 3-year-old toddler or an 80-year-old person and run. However, to excel at the sport, you have to put in years of hard work and dedication. Sacrifices have to be made. I have been running since 7th grade, but everything really clicked that summer before 9th grade. I put in much more work and made some sacrifices. I found out that I can’t go on trampolines anymore. This summer, I gave up a fun job for a job with hours better suited for my training. I needed time for double run days, workouts and time to go to the gym. I know that if I run in college, I will sacrifice the stereotypical college experience, and I am ready for that. Every year I continue to prepare for that while my training progresses.
Participating in a college sport and handling an education along with it is a hard task, but that would be a great chapter in my life. Right now, I have been selected for some unique school activities and small group meetings for educational purposes, and I think that my running has helped me get selected. It has been a great chance for me to be recognized as a student.
Running at the college level is a big goal for me, and in doing so it would help my chances of making it to the Olympics, which is a dream of mine. Right now my short-term goals are to win a state championship, run a 4:10 1600, and qualify for the Footlocker Nationals. My goals are the biggest motivator I have to continue running, but so are my teammates, coaches, family, and friends. My best friends all run and it is the best part of my day when all of us are together, running or not. My coaches are very supportive and inspire me to do better every day. My family is my biggest support system and they help me get through the tough times. My friends and teammates make everything fun, the bus rides to away meets, staying at hotels, helping each other calm down before big races. Yes, running is an individual sport where you are trying to better yourself, but it is also the biggest team sport out there.
