End of XC Season & Oak Tree Run 23-24

Running was never a thing for me. In fact, it was the last thing that I would've chosen to do if possible. But what made me decide to join the Cross Country team this year was the burning desire to change. I was sick of being a lazy, weak-willed individual who had so many things she wanted to accomplish but continued to stay in bed. Joining this new sports team meant completely getting out of my comfort zone, leaving my beloved volleyball team, and pushing my physical and mental abilities to the limit, but once offered, I accepted it.

After my wrist injury last volleyball season, I knew there was very little chance of me going back to volleyball and thus playing my favorite sports with my best friends. However, Cross Country helped me realize the capabilities that I had not recognized in the past. I never imagined running a complete 5K in my life.

What made me stay on the team was the promise that I made to someone on the first day of tryouts: "Let's not quit." Both struggling to catch up with the rest of the fit runners, we continued to encourage each other throughout the XC tryout despite barely knowing each other and promised at the bottom of the hill to finish the cross-country season together.

That was three months ago. And now we both kept our promises.

Genuinely speaking, I am so proud of both of us (reading this, Olivia?) for keeping our promises and just showing up to practice every day despite the mental and physical exhaustion from schoolwork and daily workouts. Looking back, I was sick very often and my grades were struggling to adapt to the new grading system that our school was trying out. But as the quote reads: "It is always the darkest before dawn," I can affirm that things got better after I was shaped and tied into the sports of Cross Country. Now I run for enjoyment and recently ran the Oak Tree Run with my teammates to fundraise for orphans in Korea.

Thank you to all who encouraged me to join Cross Country and helped me throughout the season. Love you guys all :)