Running cross country is a choice I'll never forget.

My junior year of high school, I decided I didn’t want to play volleyball. I didn’t want to play with a bunch of girls who didn’t seem to like me, I was sick of getting bullied on a daily basis. I wanted to play a fall sport, but I wasn’t sure which one to pick. Track and Field is my main sport. And being as I'm a high jumper, I didn’t run as much as others. I chose to run cross country instead of volleyball my junior year,

“And it was the best choice I’ve ever made. My best friend and I, had joined cross country just to use it for conditioning for track, but it turned into more than just that.”

At first, we both hated the long runs, early morning practices, and the distance. But throughout the season, we grew to love the 5k's we ran. The meets became so much fun, the early morning run before school started was so worth it. I created a bond with all the girls and boys on my small team, and I wouldn’t trade them for the world. Everyday was a new adventure, whether it was just a normal weekday practice or a big meet. I became stronger, mentally,  than I’d ever thought I could become. Before I joined cross country, the varsity volleyball coach looked at me and said, “if you run cross country, you’ll be making a mistake. You’ll throw away volleyball”.

I just shrugged at him, but after the season ended, the only mistake I made was waiting until junior year to run cross country.

- Anonymous