My childhood was anything but peaceful. I was scared of my father's footsteps coming down the hall. I often heard screaming and the sound of broken glass. I woke up to discover new holes in the wall. He was in the house, yet my mom was the only one keeping things afloat; the only one making money, caring for me, being an example. April 2022 is when my entire life changed. My mom got home late that night with my brother and sat me down to tell me that my dad was in jail. While our relationship had been rocky for years, losing him was a different level of hurt. It felt like any hope of mending our relationship was gone. It felt like my childhood was a lie. The few good memories with him felt like they were just made-up dreams in my head. This moment changed my life and the way my household would function moving forward. My mom was accepted to Augusta University's nursing program at 18 and had plans to attend until the unexpected pregnancy with my brother. For the sake of her new family, she gave that up and stayed home to become a nurse associate. She worked at the hospital, coming home completely exhausted after spending 12 hours on the neurological floor. Regardless of how exhausted she was after a shift; she was there to play board games with me or read me to sleep. My admiration for her began at a young age. Life was never easy for my family, but my mom would never show that side of life to me. My mother and I have a unique bond that those around us often point out. They say how close we seem, how we can joke with each other, understand each other, yet how she still responsibly guides me as my mom. Despite any inconvenience, my mom has always been there for me. She has never missed a race, even when it requires hours of driving, in my entire running career. She took me to physical therapists and x-ray appointments throughout my many running related injuries. She believed in me to become a strong runner despite spending years injured and at the bottom of JV. She drove me to every practice or work shift, or found a way to get me there, before I could drive. She sat by me in coffee shops as I studied for hours on end, just because I wanted the company. She is the perfect blend of selflessness and knowing how to stand up for herself. Without her, I would be nothing. I am proud to say that my mom is responsible for raising me into the independent woman I am. She has supported my big goals for my entire life. I am currently a freshman at Young Harris College where I am majoring in kinesiology with a double minor in outdoor studies and psychology. I accomplished my lifelong dream of being a college athlete and will serve as team captain next year as a sophomore. I will attend graduate school to get my doctorate in physical therapy while also working towards my sports nutrition certification. I am proud of the independence and self confidence that my mom has placed in me, and I want to continue keeping my big dreams alive. Without my mom, none of this would have been possible. However, my dreams still have heavy price tags attached to them, and I am still in need of outside financial support. The support of this scholarship would help propel me forward towards my doctorate dreams.

My name is Caitlynn Krumm, and I've been a competitive runner for over ten years. My journey in athletics has never been easy; mental health struggles, constant injuries, the loss of my father bogging me down, difficult team environments, the list goes on and on. However, there is nothing I love more than this sport, the connections I've made through it, and the doors it has opened for me to help others. I am currently continuing my educational and athletic dreams at Young Harris college where I am studying kinesiology and psychology. My first year as a college athlete was far from perfect. Wake up at 6am, put my boot on, walk over to the campus gym, hop on the stationary bike, pedal for an hour with my heart rate at 160, watch my healthy teammates run through the window. The gym windows felt like prison bars. Trapped on a bike by my undying passion that keeps breaking my heart. This is what I did every day for two months. While two months may not seem like a long time, it was not my first experience like this within the past year. Six months spent injured in the past 12 months of my life. Six months on the sidelines, unable to do what I love. These six months only account for the past year and do not even cover the many other months I've spent in this exact scenario over the past decade I have been competitively running. My high school coach always told me that most people would quit in my circumstances. For me, this was never an option. I was always far too determined to take my pain and redirect it for the benefit of others. Whenever a pain would pop up on the team, my coaches or teammates would point the hurt runner in my direction for advice. When family members would tweak something in a heated yard game, they would come to me. It seemed as though I always had a solution. My knowledge had formed from my own experiences, and this, to me, is what made all the pain worth it. The constant cycle of injuries and setbacks does not ever get easier, but each time I fall down I am given the opportunity to get back up. However, I am able to redirect this pain towards a greater purpose- helping others in my future and present. This fuels my drive to become a Doctor of Physical Therapy. I am determined to accomplish my long-standing dream of being a physical therapist so that I can help those in need learn to move and feel their best again. I am also aspiring to become a certified nutritionist so that I can help patients understand not only the strength aspect of the body but also how food can best be utilized for overall wellbeing. In addition, I am minoring in psychology so that I can better understand the human mind in order to be a better aid to those in need. My educational goals are all centered around the general goal of helping others feel their best. Ranging from athletes to those relearning to walk, I want to serve the world around me through the science of movement. While I have many high aiming goals, I believe they are all possible for me. I am fueled every day by the drive to help my community, and every day I am reminded of every single setback that inspired me to pursue this career.

My love for running and serving others is what makes me a “You Got It Girl.” I have been running since I was seven years old, and I have learned so much about life from my experiences in sport. In high school, I helped form my team into a close sisterhood. Now, I am blessed to have the opportunity to continue running at the DII college level for Young Harris College, and I have been named head women’s captain as an upcoming sophomore. The first couple years I spent running went well. Unfortunately, I was then stuck in a multi-year running slump. I went four years without a personal best and had to work to rebuild myself into the athlete I wanted to be. I have spent much of my time as an athlete injured, iron deficient, suffering from RED-S, and stuck on the sidelines. In the past year alone, I strained my hip adductor and had two stress fractures. My high school coach often told me that most people would quit in my circumstances. For me, quitting was never an option. I rebuilt not only myself, but also my team culture. I became a varsity runner my junior year and was blessed to see multiple state podium appearances. This determination is what has allowed me to get a scholarship to run in the NCAA. I was awarded the Serendipity Award, the North Star Award, and the Warrior Award. The award that I cherish most is the Anna Butler Award, which honored a former athlete at my high school who passed away, and is given to those who have a “life larger than life and heart bigger than big.” The honor of these awards means the world to me as it shows that I have made a positive impact on my teammates. For me, this matters more than any time or medal. In April 2022 my dad was taken out of my world and sent to jail. My relationship with him had always been rocky. Screaming, slammed doors, and broken glass were, unfortunately, normal for me. While it felt like I was robbed of a real relationship with a father figure as a child, him being sent to jail was just a harder punch in the gut. I was sent to therapy where I was told that I showed signs of moderate to severe depression and moderate anxiety. I felt no hope or joy for my future. Thankfully, my mom was there for me every step of the way. She sacrificed everything just for me to be happy, she hugged me while I sobbed, and she cheered me on during every race. She is also a nurse, highlighting the length of her selfless and kind character. Amid being bullied at school for the news of my father, losing friends, losing my grandfather just months later in 2022, and battling with my mental health, I picked myself up. While my universe was chaos, I never gave up. This is a true testimony to the power of resilience. These trials have shaped me into a You Got It Girl. My teammates did not see me as someone who had suffered and been miserable. Instead, they viewed me as an inspirational light that spread the love of the sport. I understand there is so much hurt in the world, and my problems are so small in the grand scheme of things. This is what inspires me to always lift others up, as you never know what they are going through. During my senior cross-country season, a neighboring school was the target of a school shooting. I organized the team initiative to wear temporary tattoos and Apalachee colors in our hair ribbon at our next meet where Apalachee was also competing. Spreading love is so crucial in a world that is full of so much pain. I am currently studying kinesiology; I also have a double minor with outdoor studies and psychology. I am ending my freshman year with a 3.8 while having maintained a job throughout the school year and practicing 8 times a week. Despite having to redshirt 2/3 seasons my freshman year, I drove to every outdoor track meet to see my team compete. Pursuing a doctorate in physical therapy will not be cheap, which is why financial support is appreciated. This is especially helpful for me as my mom is the only provider for our household. You Got It Girl will help to fund my educational goals and allow me to continue doing what I love. I am beyond proud to be a female athlete, as women in sports must go through many more hurdles than most will ever realize. Women supporting women is a core value of You Got It Girl, and something I hold close to my heart.