I began the first mile with a mission: to run 24 miles in 24 hours. Each hour, my two other friends and I would walk from our tents set up in the backyard and run a mile around my neighborhood. Why are we doing this? My reason was not a simple one; completing this challenge was my attempt to solve an issue in my community that resonates with me deeply; Poverty, in all its forms, is an issue that many can't fathom. My home, Syracuse, is a city with one of the highest poverty rates in the nation, over 14,000 children live below the poverty line, and this substantially increased during COVID. During the pandemic, I felt closed off and yearned to connect with others. Moreover, I was determined to end the treadmill of pain people run on each day. …show more content…
Knowing that I aided people, filled me with jubilation. As I crossed the line of success, there was a crowd of people cheering for me. In 2019, this was the first time I had seen people expressing joy; slowly, loneliness in the community began to fade away. Running has changed my outlook and perspective on life. The discipline, endurance, and determination required in running can translate into being a strong leader. That being said, a good leader isn't only determined by their success, but how they handle their failures. 6 years of running has taught me that progress is linear; I'm not going to PR (hit a personal record) or win every race. Freshman year, after a bad race, I would probably cry, and compare myself to other runners. Now, instead of dwelling on my failures, I learn from them, work harder during mile repeats or hill workouts, and motivate my teammates to keep pushing forward. I yearn to have the same commitment Mike and Sam have to their families and others. Both my Grandmother and Grandfather are bilateral amputees and have no legs. In honor of all bilateral amputees, I plan to pursue a career in physical and occupational therapy, to run the distances for people who
I am now officially in my Senior year of Cross Country , and am close to the end of my season. My first race of this year though was a big accomplishment for me, because I hadn`t been able to run. When I ran that race though it made me just so happy I was able to finish it, I was`nt happy with the time, but there is always time for improvement. I was glad to be racing again and being apart of the team again. I believe that my injuries were a barrier in my way, but they did not stop my sports career.
When the cross country season started in August I became a mentor for the new runners. I was still a runner but now I was doing my running through my peers. During each practice I would lead everyone in stretching and would follow with encouragement on my bike during runs. The freshman looked up to me as if I were an assistant coach and I knew I had done the right thing in being there every day for
Sports are not for everyone. I tried a variety of sports throughout my childhood but I was never really athlete material. I am as slow as a turtle and I have little to no hand-eye coordination, but I gave each sport a try. It was truly a shock when I decided to run cross-country since I had no speed whatsoever.
Growing up I've always known I wanted to help people when I got older. During the summer of 2014, my aunt who is a pediatric physical therapist allowed me to shadow her at work and I realized that is what I wanted to do. My aunt has told me countless stories about how she's helped the lives of children and their families. One story that will always stick out in my mind is how she helped a child with developmental delays how to walk. I have several younger cousins who are thankfully well and healthy, and I couldn't imagine them struggling to do simple things like walking. At her work, all the physical therapists put together a cheerleading program for the kids and I was able to help them with their final performance. Being a cheerleader and
With amenities such as cars and buses, I have no pragmatic reason to use my feet, especially if I lack a destination. I do not run to the gym to acquire a stylish figure, for my slender frame does not require it. And this grueling run differs from a relaxing jog to a coffee shop. I am pushing myself constantly to run faster and farther, for my team as well as for personal glory. Somehow with tireless effort and unflagging commitment, I run through the sleeping streets of my neighborhood with the awareness that I am steadily reaching my goal-maintaining the discipline that cross-country demands. In my mind I see a victory line that symbolizes the results of perseverance and hard work. This line makes me realize that ambition and tenacity do not go in vain.
It was an exceptionally cold spring afternoon in Tennessee. My friend McKenzie and I decided to start training for the 5k Glow Run we would attempt to run in the near summer. Neither of us were close to being in shape, so we felt that a little practice wouldn’t hurt. In Tennessee the weather is very bipolar when the seasons shift from winter to spring. The weather could be 72 degrees one day, and snowing the next day. Little did we know, the day we chose to hang out was suppose to be below freezing with a wind chill advisory. We decided to still go for a run at the park because we didn’t want to make an excuse to not work out on our first day of training. We bundled up in the warmest and heaviest clothes we could find and headed to the park. Once we got to the empty
Overcoming my Asthma and Completing a Marathon It all started when I was first born, “Mr. And Mrs. Sadler I’m sorry to inform you but your son has asthma.” After that my life was going to become a roller coaster of medication, emergency room visits, and life long lessons along the way. There are many life long messages that I could explain to people, doing the right thing comes with conscience, being nice doesn’t always get you first but you feel better about yourself, and probably coming to the most important one in my thought would be, Never let someone tell you that you can’t do something because if you put your mind to something than you can accomplish anything. Only one more day, tomorrow will be a life changing event, because tomorrow is the once a year Prince Of Wales Marathon.
The start of the 2002 track season found me concerned with how I would perform. After a disastrous bout with mononucleosis ended my freshmen track season, the fear of failure weighed heavily on my mind. I set a goal for myself in order to maintain focus and to push myself like nothing else would. My goal for my sophomore track season was to become a state champion in the 100 meter hurdles. I worked hard everyday at practice and went the extra mile, like running every Sunday, to be just that much closer to reaching my goal. The thought of standing highest on the podium in the center of the field, surrounded by hundreds of spectators, overcame my thoughts of complaining every time we had a hard workout. When I closed my eyes, I pictured myself waiting in anticipation as other competitors names were called out, one by one, until finally, the booming voice announced over the loudspeaker, "...and in first place, your 2002 100 meter hurdle champion, from Hotchkiss, Connie Dawson." It was visions like these that drove me to work harder everyday.
I have been competitively swimming for twelve years now. I started swim lessons at six months and as a kindergartener my mother signed me up for my local team because “It was the only sport that tired me out enough to keep me good in school.” Neither of parents had swam in high school, my mother was a runner and my father was a hockey player. Even though their reasoning might have been a lot different from that of many other athletes, I am forever grateful for that decision.
As the hot wind blew over the runners on the start line, I started to jump up and down in preparation for the imminent race. We were at the first cross country meet of my junior year, and nerves were abundant. I readied myself at the start line and I began considering my success in past years. The first two years of high school passed quickly, and I tried to recall the rapid improvement I experienced. The coming year was different; with other commitments to consider, I was worried my running career would suffer.
I've never been in any after-school activities. Then my mom introduced me to running. Her cousin's daughter had a hearing problem and was raising money through a 5k to pay for her special hearing aids. If I wanted to participate in the 5k, I would have to at least be able to run a mile. I worked on my running all summer, getting faster and going farther, when it hit me that what I'm really doing is the sport called cross country.
There have been many things that I have learned from running track. In the spring of 2015, while I ran track, I encountered many obstacles that transformed me. Each of these experiences trained me into becoming an improved athlete. One of the most difficult trials I faced put me to the test in many ways. Even though I was unsuccessful, I was able to learn from this experience.
Run. That was the single thought that consumed my exhausted mind. I had to run, to keep moving, or else all would be lost. My feet pounded against the rugged, African earth and the wind lashed out at my bare skin. Sweat streaked down my sweating forehead, my muscles scorched and every bone in my body pleaded with me to stop, to slow down.
The miles increased each week and before I knew it, the last long run before the marathon was only twenty miles. Then came the marathon, 26.2 miles of runners’ high, pain, agony, and unstable weather.
Adding exercises into one’s daily routines can change their whole lifestyle. Many people look at exercise as being something just for people who want to lose weight or to become muscle bound, but there are a great deal of benefits that can be received from exercising regularly. Of course gaining muscle and losing fat are the two most popular reasons that usually attract people to the gym, but they make up a small part of the potential benefits that can be achieved with exercise. There are several ways in which I have benefited in my life from exercising regularly, besides just making me bigger and stronger. It has made me become more organized, helped me make better decisions, and motivated me to take on new challenges in life.