Camille Carr '18 Recruiting Profile

The first timed mile I ever ran was 12 minutes and 36 seconds. Five years later, I could probably run two miles in that period of time. My name's Camille Carr and I am a varsity cross country runner from Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, PA. I absolutely adore running,  and after my dad was diagnosed with multiple myeloma (an incurable blood cancer) and my sister with metachromatic leukodystrophy (a regressive and terminal white matter disease) all within the span of eight months. The only way I ended up being able to cope with seeing two of my favorite people on the planet so sick was through running. I quickly became addicted. Those six to ten mile runs became my own therapy. It was fantastic, but my running journey hasn't always been easy. After picking up a slight calf tear that I couldn't shake at the end of freshmen year cross country. I hit a sophmore year slump of epic proportions and began averaging 23 minute 5ks because I was nervous wreck all of the time. I would get slammed with panic attacks before and during the race because I was putting so much pressure on myself. Oftentimes, I would step on the line already exhausted and on an occasion or two I did pass out.

I was told that I shouldn't even try to run with the faster girls on my team because they had faster "leg speed" than I did. After being absolutely crushed by this, I feared I would never PR again. That I wouldn't run on varsity ever again, but I forced myself to get myself together. When the team started summer training in the June before my junior year we were tasked with writing training logs. When we got back to run our first time trial on the first day of pre-season, our coach would check them. On that day, I was fourth on my team after face planting on the pavement in the dark for the time trial. Later on, my coach pulled me aside to tell me that I had the most complete log out of the entire team. I wasn't surprised. Every morning that summer I would run at 6am before I would catch my 7:11am bus to Philadelphia so I could start my research internship in the neurology department at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia because it my dream to be a pediatric neurologist (who runs marathons in their spare time). 

While I know that I am probably one the least naturally talented members of my team with my short legs and stockier frame, I am the hardest worker. Which may sound conceited, but it's true. I am not satisfied with times when I always know I can do better, but I do know my limits. After having a really tough season, I learned how not to be so inwardly focused. I learned how to be ecstatic for my teammates when I did less than stellar in my own race. But once again, I do not settle and I do not slack off. I will never be the most talented runner present but that doesn't mean I can't be one of the best. Motivation to run has never been an issue for me and it never will be.