Charlotte Perreault '25 Recruiting Profile

“Who won and where are the trophies?” are the first words I said stepping off the dance recital stage at only four years old. My parents continuously recall the story, as from that moment on, we knew I was a competitor. This moment is what led me down my ten year Junior Olympics Gymnastics career. This is where I discovered my desire to be part of a team and gained experiences that have shaped me into who I am today. 

At the start of middle school, I found myself participating in cross country, track and gymnastics. My love was torn between the two sports. However, after a year of high school running, I truly learned that I had my heart set on running and said goodbye to my gymnastic career. Although the mindset that gymnastics instilled in me will never truly be forgotten as it is still visible in my running career. 

“Do it again” are three words that I have heard more times than I can count. Three words that have taught me one of the most important lessons of never backing down. Resilience is your ability to recover quickly and withstand tough times. I learned this skill the day my coach told me my arms were bent in my vault. The rest of my team was allowed to move on to bars, while I had to stay back. I was told to do the skill over and over again. I practiced my vault until it was perfect. Having the ability to do the same thing over and over because you keep doing it wrong is extremely difficult. Before I knew it I had done more vaults than I could ever remember, but I had finally done a vault with straight arms. Although I was tired, and missed part of bars practice, I did a vault with straight arms and that was the only thing that mattered to me. It only mattered that I had reached my goal. I learned that having goals was important and making them happen was even more important. Sometimes the journey to a goal can be difficult, that's why being resilient is crucial, especially in running. Seeing monumental changes in running is tough, but it's why I continue to work hard and train because I have the ability to focus on my goals and look to the future. Having the ability to continue to push forward in both my life and running has helped me become a person that always works hard and does not give up easily. 

Another aspect of my life that I highly value is being part of a team. Taking part in both running teams and gymnastics teams for the majority of my life has allowed me to see the true value in being a teammate. Being a good teammate is a lot more than congratulating someone after a race. It means being there for my team when they need me. Being willing to help out and put my best effort forward each day to support the team vision. I have learned to tell when someone is having a rough day, and to always be honest and respectful of my teammates. Being on a team has also taught me to always be respectful of coaches and take the opportunity to learn both from them and my teammates. The way that I am with my team has also allowed me to form better relationships with my family. I have learned to always care for and support my two younger brothers. This has allowed us to gain good communication and a trusting bond that we will have for the rest of our lives. On top of this, being part of a team has shown me the importance of helping others and this has has driven me to join organizations through school that focus on giving back. This has enabled me to participate in Key Club and raise money for various charities as well as  joining Girl-up, which raises awareness and donations for women in third world countries. I find being on a team very important and plan on always being there to support someone when needed. 

Taking part in running has also allowed me to become extremely driven and hardworking. I try my best at every practice to do all that I am capable of and work hard to become better. I have also learned to apply this same work ethic to school and my grades. I am a hard worker that completes my assignments and studies hard for each exam. I care about my grades and put in the work and effort to achieve the kind of grades I desire. Along with this, having a hard working mindset has taught me the importance of taking action to get things. This is why I ran for and am part of the student council at my school. So I am able to take action and help my school with different issues, events and fundraisers. 

I wish to have the opportunity to further my education and continue to grow academically. As I have always found this to be an important aspect of my life. However, with this I desire to continue to be part of a team as I have learned so much from it and I find it an important thing to be a part of.