"It took me until the end to realize the impact XC had on my life"

Coming into university I had no idea what to expect. The one sport I had always known was cross-country, so I decided to go out for the team. I was so nervous the first practice that I almost didn’t get out of my car. But I did. It took me until my second year before I finally found my stride, and it took me until the end to realize the impact XC had on my life. XC gave me confidence, not just on the trails, but in everything I did in university. There is no way I would have made it through my degree without my teammates who were there every step of the way (literally), my coaches who didn’t give up on me, and that good old runner’s high, which kept my thoughts positive even during the hardest times.

- @priyab123 ( Priya Bhutani )