Personal Narrative: How Running Has Changed My Life

Running. Running has provided me with so many opportunities. I have met so many new people and learned numerous life lessons. My life would be completely different if I had not had these invaluable experiences.
Growing up, I played just about every sport our small town provided: soccer, basketball, baseball, football, boxing, golf, you name it. There was only one sport that I had yet to embark upon: running; however, during my seventh grade year, I decided to try it out, and it ended up being a great decision. From the beginning, the one thing that drew me in was the atmosphere. All of the older runners on the team really embraced us younger runners, despite our youth and immaturity. As a seventh grade kid not really knowing what to expect participating in a varsity sport, this gesture really meant a lot, and it is one of the main reasons that I fell in love with the sport. I stayed with this sport throughout my high school career, and now that I am older, I have the opportunity of being on the other side of the spectrum. My teammates and I love having the middle school kids on the team, and I try my best to ensure that they have a similar experience to the one I had just five short years ago. Not only have I had a great experience with running, but it has also taught me many valuable lessons

It has brought me in contact with people that I otherwise would have never spoken to. Additionally, no value can be placed on the countless lessons it has taught me. Olympic marathon runner Meb Keflezighi states, “Like the marathon, life can sometimes be difficult, challenging, and present obstacles; however, if you believe in your dreams and never ever give up, things will turn out for the best.” To sum things up, running has taught me many lessons, and it is one of the main reasons I am the person that I am