Gabriela Cintron '19 Recruiting Profile

"Adversity strikes at what seems to be the most inconvenient times. After trying to analyze and understand why it happened there must come a time to move on and comprehend the greater purpose of the experience and learn from the setback. Most difficult because it is easier said than done." - Gabriela Cintron 2018

My name is Gabriela Cintron a hurdler/sprinter from Emerald High School in Washington State and I will be graduating this upcoming 2019. The statement above has been important for me personally more than ever recently because it is a reflection I made from my experience from this past 2017-2018 track season.

 At my first invitational of the season on March 24, 2018 during my first race of 100mH after pushing out the blocks I felt a jolting pull at the back base of my left ankle and I as landed the first hurdle I completely ruptured my Achilles Tendon. A week and a half later on April 4, 2018 I was brought into surgery to repair my tendon. Spent all of April, May and part of June in a cast until I was cleared and into a walking boot. I am currently still in the boot and attending Physical Therapy. I was out with injury for the whole season.

Although my season was spent at home in bed recovering, it was the most fortunate unfortunate event I could have ever experienced as an athlete because of the challenges physically and mentally I have had to learn and reflect upon. Now more than ever do I understand the endless difficulties of adversities and the importance of always striving to improve in any aspect because a process of such will require diligent commitment and effort. Injury has enhanced my traits of resilience and ability to be perseverant with courage and optimism academically and athletically.

I take pride in my ability to be a considerate trustworthy athlete for not only myself but for my teammates and coaches. My freshman season I received the Female Rookie of the Year and my sophomore season I received Teammate of the Year which are memorable moments I am grateful for. Despite my injury I also was presented a Coaches Award this past season which was a very special honor I cherish. Investing support with the team I compete with by inputting time and energy by offering and contributing my dedication is a very important value I will take with me as a member of a college program.

In terms of aspirations athletically for college I would like to recover and continue strengthening myself in the weight room and technique wise on the track so I can condition to become a more competitive explosive sprinter through the hurdles. Academically, I have maintained a cumulative of 3.5 during high school while being enrolled in Pre-AP courses and in college I would like to pursue an education in the Medical Field and specifically Sports Medicine Rehabilitation in Physiatry.