Throughout my whole life, I have participated in sports. My mom signed me up for basketball when I was just 4 years old. From then I joined soccer. Throughout my childhood, my weeknights were taken up by practice and weekends were filled with games. At the time, I didn't see how big of an impact sports would have on my life, but looking back I do now. In high school, I took on sports year-round. Throughout the three and a half years of high school (thanks to Covid-19) I participated in 5 different sports including volleyball, cross country, basketball, soccer, and track and field. I ended my career with 10 varsity letters, two team conference championships, and placing at the state track meet in three events. My time in these sports have taught me the value of dedication, teamwork, and sportsmanship. At the beginning of my senior year, I wanted to continue my track career in college. I have always had a passion for running and I wanted to continue proving myself with every competition. I reached out to a few schools to see if I would be able to compete for their team. After being declined by coaches one after another, Coach Steve Travis at Wisconsin Lutheran College reached out to me. He liked my work ethic toward the sport and saw potential in me as an athlete. Through the pandemic, I worked with him and set up a summer training plan to be ready to compete in the fall. I fell in love with the sport all over again as soon as we had our first official practice. Going to a Christian campus, I can be open about faith with my teammates and coaching staff. When competing, even during the times I want to give up, I remember how lucky I am to be able to compete collegiately. I was given this opportunity that not many people are offered and I make the most of it every chance I get. My weeknights may be busy and my weekends aren't much better, but I can tell people I am a collegiate athlete, which is something not that many people can do. God has given me the gift to run so I plan to use it to my fullest potential. Over the past summer, I started having knee pain when I would run. I tried to shake it off but as it got worse, I made an appointment with my doctor. She recommended physical therapy throughout the summer to see if that helped. After two months of still being in pain, I went to an orthopedic specialist that scheduled me for an MRI. What he found was that the Hoffa's fat pad in my knee was inflamed and suggested a cortisone shot to help the swelling. After enduring this injury and not being able to run for a while, it taught me just how much I need running and competing in my life. It has become a part of me that will never go away and I can't imagine my life without it. A common saying in my sport is to leave it all out on the track and in this case, once I graduate, a part of myself will still be left on the track.

With as competitive as I am, cross country is the perfect sport for me. Running against other people, all with the same goal, it's euphoric. Having the opportunity to share my love for the sport, is even better. Being a collegiate athlete, one of the activities we help with is hosting a 5k run/walk to help raise money for our program. At first, this may not sound all that interesting to the average person, but to me, it is a way to help share my love for this sport. Setting up the flags and helping teams check in is one of my favorite ways to help. Being able to personally hand a coach the bib numbers for their athletes reminds me of when I first started running as a kid. The chance to share my passion for running with others is one of the most helpful things I could do. When it comes to helping others, I enjoy watching young kids experience the same joy I did when I was their age. Helping the next generation of student athletes find their excitement in the same hobby I do is one of the greatest achievements and most helpful thing I can do.