Michaela Hedderman '16 Recruiting Profile

My parents always said I ran before I walked.  I was always in motion and running always made me feel happy and strong.  I started in soccer, as everyone in grade school did.  Graduated to lacrosse, where I went up through U-12 and was the fastest on most of the teams.  Stick handling was less enamoring, but I loved the running.  Middle school opened up a new world of track and field and I tried out a variety of events, 100M, 200M, 400m, long jump and high jump.  I loved the track meets, even in the poring rain, other than the stop watch methods didn’t seem to ever give you a good idea of your real times.  I usually won, so it really didn’t matter anyway.
Freshman year I was recruited on the Varsity Ipswich High School Cross country team and I loved the running and the overall strength and stamina.  I was the number 3 runner on the team. Pacing myself was less fun and I usually shot out too aggressively.  It was at that point that where my coach thought I would be a better fit for sprinting since I was seemed to love paced paced training days rather than the slower paced, patient distance runners.
Indoor track I was again recruited for the Varsity Track Team and surprised everyone, including myself, by dominating my events, much to the chagrin of the upperclassmen who had more mileage and experience.  It was somewhat embarrassing seeing my name or picture in the local paper week after week but exciting at the same time.  I qualified our Varsity 4x400M relay team at States and Won the Cape Ann League Championship.
Outdoor track was equally successful, and I love my favorite races, the 200M and 100M.  Ipswich again won the Cape Ann League and I qualified and won Divisional in the 200M (even though I fell right at the finish line in my qualifying heat).  There was a great picture of my graceful fall in the Boston Herald, but it failed to mentioned that I went on to win the 200M and qualified for All-States.
This fall I spent the season working with a fitness coach to build up my strength, Matt Foley of Elite Fitness, www.elite-sf.com.  Over the course of three months I was bench pressing 95 lbs and squatting 135 and I really muscled up.  All the strength improved my overall speed by more than 2 seconds and with more practice with starts and strategy and additional weight training, I know that my times will continue to improve.  The buff look and strength also did a lot for my overall self confidence.
I am aggressive and competitive and focused.  My work ethic is solid and I have completely changed my diet to improve my health and fitness.  My family switched to a gluten free, low dairy high protein diet partially to improve acne, but also to have a cleaner healthier diet for running.  I also have developed a mild pollen allergy to some fresh fruits and vegetables, so we have continued to cut processed foods, preservatives, snacks, juice and high sugar foods.  I hardly ever get sick and I have never felt stronger.  Although I have not yet been able to stomach the protein powders recommended by my trainer, even mixed with every kind of fruit, yogurt and rice milk, I get enough protein with eggs every morning, and lean protein for lunch and dinner.  I am committed to a healthy lifestyle and it has really helped my overall training and fitness.
I have a really great support system of family and friends and this really helps motivate me on the tough days when I am sore from training and the school load is difficult. My family life is strict but flexible, putting family, school, athletic and friends in that order.  My family has been extremely supportive, making breakfast every morning, making sure I have healthy home made lunches, lots of water, enormous encouragement and always pushing a positive attitude,  attending my meets, helping me organize all the school responsibilities and training and the bi-weekly grocery trips to keep my training diet going.  My family promotes excellence by “just doing a little bit more” and although I would not opening admit this to my mom, it always prompts me to train a few minutes more, do just a few more sit-ups, drink just a bit more water, push just a little bit more.  I am finding that this attitude has helped with school and although my honors classes are challenging, I am managing the extra load.
I am used to being at the front of the pack and hate to be beaten, so my goal is to be the best I can be.  I know that I can excel at college track with the right coaching and the right spirit and support.  My current coach knows when to yell to push me on and when to say the right things when I am disappointed and too hard on myself, even when he is thrilled with how I did.  I love to win and to help my team.  I love the team spirit and the collective energy and collegiality.  Along with being a Captain on my track team, I carry a lot of responsibility and am  huge role model for all of the underclassmen that join or I try to recruit to our team. I want to be with a school, that like Ipswich, is proud to have me there and believes in me and wants me to succeed, and also of course is passionate about their sports,].  There is nothing better than having people believe in you and working hard to prove them right in that belief.   I am different from other recruits because I have the character to succeed at athletics and academics and push to train and improve.  Although I like the accolades, it is more about succeeding for my team and my personal best, than just winning to be at the top.  I feel better winning getting my PR, and pushing my own personal limits, rather than just getting first, although that is always appreciated.
I have nowhere to go from here but to become but faster, stronger, and better.