Emma

Hey reader, my name is Emma! I'm pictured furthest to the right in this super blurry photo. It was taken after one of my high school track meets by my coach. The other two girls in the picture are Devan and Emma, and we ran the 4x800 meter relay together. (We set the school record for the event!)

I had been running long before high school, starting the sport in second grade. My family had just moved to a new town, and I was looking for a new activity to do (after trying just about every sport you can think of). My parents suggested I try track at the county's Rec. Department. I fell in love with it after my first season. I started out sprinting, but in a few years came to realize that distance running was where I shined. I pushed myself and made it to the state championship each year I ran for the Rec. Department.

Although I had found my passion, it wasn't always easy to pursue it. Running is hard: it's physically challenging, mentally tolling, and is a large time commitment. There were days I didn't perform as well as I wanted, and others when I wanted to give up. But I persisted, knowing that the satisfaction of meeting my goals was worth the hardship.

I kept running consistently until Covid hit during my last year of middle school. It kept everyone at home until the second semester of my freshman year. (Obviously, this meant no running.) It wasn't until junior year that my high school formed a track team. After two years without running, I was doubtful of my abilities. I became insecure that I couldn't live up to this younger version of me that put in so much effort to succeed. Although I was terrified, I joined the team and started to rebuild. It was discouraging at first. My times were slower than when I was in middle school. But I didn't give up, and with support from my family, friends, teammates, and coaches, I started to gain confidence and improve my times. Once I took the pressure off and let myself enjoy the sport again, I soared. I went to sectionals that track season, and I joined cross-country for the first time the following fall. (I even ran at state for it!) And during my last track season senior year, I did what I am most proud of, which was breaking my personal record and setting a new one in the 800-meter run. (I also went to state with Emma and Devan for our relay!)

Once I began college, I didn't have a team to run with anymore. And with the stress of being a new college student, I never found the time to run on my own. Going into my second year, I hope to rediscover my joy of running. And although I'm feeling nervous about it, I hope to remind myself of what I overcame in the past. I am capable of anything I put my mind to. I have proven that.