"I had never seen myself as a runner and, frankly, never wanted to."

when my dad first told me he had signed me up for cross country my initial reaction was to cry. I had never seen myself as a runner and, frankly, never wanted to. I'll never forget the first day of practice...hill workout at forest park. I thought coach was crazy when he said our WARMUP was a half a mile. I could barely run it. As the weeks went on, I slowly progressed to where is was running 3ks, then 5ks. although I never placed and my times weren't that good, I knew I had the support of my teammates no matter what happened. by the time my first cross country season had ended, I had found the best group of friends anyone could ask for. I also found that I, not only bonded with my fellow freshman, but also felt a strong friendship between the sophomores, juniors and even seniors. sure, I might not be the best runner on the team and I defiantly don't win any metals, but the friendships I have developed with my teammates are so much more valuable then any first place trophy or metal. 

- @carolinekwarner ( Caroline Warner )