Christine Cook

I am a first year Exercise and Sports Science Major at the University of Georgia. Born and raised an LSU Tiger, I am struggling to accept the idea of myself as a Bulldawg. I hope to one day become a physical therapist specializing in aquatic therapy - that is, if I survive General Chemistry.
I come from humble beginnings with a family who encouraged my independence but supported me when needed. My time in high school was very similar to any other teenage girl's, undertaking the constant struggles of "do these shoes match this belt?" and "why do cute boys never notice me?" But at the risk of sounding clichéd, I will admit that high school was a time of enormous growth for me. I was daddy's little girl growing up, always begging him to take me fishing or canoeing, and breaking my mother's heart every time I refused to wear those hideous white lace-trimmed dress socks.
By the end of middle school I was lost, always wanting to stand out but desperately hoping to fit in. I joined cross country on a whim in ninth grade, and it changed my life. I was never the best runner, or even close, and I spent more time recovering from various injuries than I ever did training for my races. Somehow I kept coming back. Cross country provided me with the close-knit family that I never had at home. At the beginning of every season I would start as one of the best runners, yet as the season crept on I would be weakened by injuries before missing the final races - every single year. I was named team captain as a senior. Desperate to provide my teammates with someone to look up to, I knew I had to have a good season. At the start of the season, I was already crippled by injury, and knowing I would never get the season I wanted, I couldn't help but to be disappointed. It was then that some of my coaches and teammates started to lift me up. Coach Ron Clanton, my supportive coach that quickly became one of the most important men in my life, helped me realize that I was named as a captain because I led by example, not as a successful runner but as a supportive teammate. I discovered that being a leader does not require talent but compassion and a hell of a lot of heart. My senior season ended up being the worst I ever had, but I wouldn't trade those expiriences for the best running career in the world. I didn't realize it until I had graduated, but cross country taught me just about everything I know, except ironically, how to run.