"I started cross country freshman year as a way to impress a girl"

I started cross country freshman year as a way to lose weight (and impress a girl) her family hated me bc I wasn't good enough. I ended up being the worst on JV... I sucked. The following summer I made it my mission to impress her and her family. So I ran 2 and sometimes 3 times a day to get better. After being one of the best varsity runners and dropping a total 7 and a half minutes of my time I went to celebrate with a friend. Riding four wheelers I broke my knee weeks before state. The whole school blamed me for us losing our legacy as a renowned team. My junior and senior year following I was called "dad" by the underclassmen in respect to my leadership and hard work for them. For a while I won the girl over plus I all stated and proved haters wrong. Cross country gave me lifelong friends and family. Never give up.

- @cross_braden ( Braden Cross )