Sprinting Personal Narrative

I was a late-comer to athletics. So when the distance coach recruited me in tenth grade, it was a pleasant surprise to be half decent. I was deemed the most improved cross country runner in the nation, dropping six minutes for a 4K, landing me in my first state race. I have since been a contributing part of my varsity team. I have been All-Conference and All-Section for the past three years. This past year, my cross country team won state and nationals. I, myself, was runner-up in the team division at nationals. In Track and Field, I also competed at state. Running has become a huge part of my life, teaching me many lessons, especially that there is always room for

Since the 7th grade, I have and continue to push and strive to become the most elite athlete I can be. In middle school, I ran the 100m, 200m, and 400m relay, and the main objective of middle school track for me was to not only place, but to also gain experience before entering high school track. As my high school track career began, track and field was not as much fun and games as it was preparing for future track events. One of the most challenging moments as a freshman was being able to transition from the 100m to the 400m. When most high school athletes think of the 400m, they feel it's one of the most gruesome races to run, and it is. Although I had zero experience running the 400m, I was more concerned doing what was beneficial for

When I was in seventh grade I fell in love. Not with a person, but a sport. I fell in love with track. I enjoyed the workouts, the races, the team, the events, the meets, but most of all I had found a passion for sprinting. I worked everyday during practice to prepare for the meets. I pushed myself as hard as I could and never gave up. I couldn’t get enough of it. I was mad for the feeling of your lungs bursting for air and your legs burning with pain. The long, exhausting workouts, the freezing practices, and the crazy memories you can make. There was nothing about it that I found unlikeable. Track was consuming my thoughts, I couldn’t stop. I was in love with it in every single way.

I was thinking if I should go straight or turn right onto the track when I was leaving school one miserable day. I had made my decision to go right because I would get less wet. So I walked home on the long deserted track when I saw Barry Bagsley and his little puppets Doug and Danny playing catch with a little Moorefield primary boy. I kept walking down the track thinking that I could just avoid them by running fast through them. As I got closer I realised that they were grabbing the contents of within his bag and throwing it everywhere. I felt like I had to help out the little guy but at the same time it felt so wrong to go down and come into contact with my foe.

It was a perfect night for a run. Around 70 degrees with a slight breeze. I wait in my Dark Blue Mini Cooper as my watch gets my location. Feet trembling with adrenaline, much like an addict, I’m itching for a run. With a loud “BEEP,” I know the smartwatch is ready and I’m off. As time progresses, I start running faster, faster, and faster. The whispering wind would flow through my hair as I make my way down the trail. Bliss. I notice my surroundings, trees, deer, and the bright light of my headlamp. Chills go up my spine every so often. All I hear is the pitter pattering of my red running shoes and the occasional rustle of bushes. After what feels like the shortest moment ever, my half-hour run is over and I sigh with relief.

87/140 blood pressure. Hypertension? No, adrenaline. My heart was beating fast and hard; I could practically feel the blood pumping through every vein, every capillary, every artery. I could feel ,the constant assault on my whole body of the speeding wind that brought in a brigade of sand to scratch my face and make its way through every crevice. We were moving at such high speeds that the truck seemed to never even touch the ground.

I enjoy running in general whether its a light jog with my sister or the state qualifier in track. Competing in races and meets brings a rush to my legs, my mind, and my heart. Cross country has allowed me to admire the beauty of the wilderness along with the rush that running brings me. The most successful event that my school has witnessed for girls is the 4x800 meter relay. I have the privilege to be a part of this 4 women team, surrounded by my closest

Since I was young I liked playing multiple, I didn’t run track until my seventh grade year. All I did was run the relays because my school coaches didn’t know much about being a coach. The summer of eighth grade going to freshmen year I started going with a professional outside of school. There is where they discovered my ability of being a sprinter, as a freshman I made the varsity girls track and field team. I did not do how I expected but I kept

Running was a part of my life between 2014 and 2016, when I was still a young middle school kid. I tried out for the track team, and I ran for my first time in March. Track and Field was a new experience for me, I had

Family, teachers, perhaps even peers has told you the saying “Hard work pays off eventually.”. That is precisely what the individuals who are informed of my Track and Field career told me. But at the time, as a freshman, I wanted to be the best there ever was, a track star, the unbeatable.

My feet pushed onto the ground in tremendous speed ignoring the complaints of my fellow peers, “Gotta go fast” I thought grinning to myself as I slam the doors open and hop onto my motorbike immediately starting the vehicle, driving away from the school, “Faster” I whisper smirking to myself as I sped past the traffic light before it turned red.

Oh well, my mom used to run the 400m sprint, so she turned me onto the idea. I was doing golf, but I didn’t really like golf, so I decided to go out and do track.

It’s been awhile between emails, but it hasn’t been an idle time for me - or for this world we live in that continues to face seemingly intractable issues. I’ve spent time speaking with hundreds of people, and rapidly upskilling, to creatively reimagine how ‘On Purpose’ can continue to cut through and reach many, for us to work together and be on purpose for good.

Ding! Dong! I grabbed my backpack and my violin head out the door. "Dang it! for minutes to put this away and got to homeroom," I thought. I scrambled down the stairs, skipping a couple steps and ran fast. Faster than a one-legged man in a butt-kicking contest. The bell seemed to yell at me like my mother would. The wind was so strong that it nearly took me off my feet. Running through the irony gate with its creaking sound, seeming to laugh at me. But, I did manage to get in. Three minutes left. I ran like a runaway train while seeing the cream colored walls of the school running with me. As I opened Mrs. Price's door, I bumped into an old friend. She started talking all of what happened so far in her first year, it felt like hours ticking

Your first step is to start brainstorming. Don’t rule anything out yet – this is just to get your creative juices flowing and to dredge up skills and achievements you’ve either forgotten or take totally for granted. If you’re stuck, print out the worksheet on the following page and fill it in…