“My passion for running didn’t begin right away. I started running my freshman year of high school after my cross-country coach convinced me to come out for the team. I literally had no running experience and was struggling to get through the warm-up. It was an uphill battle to gain fitness and overcome the psychological struggles I experienced during every single run. To be honest, the thrill of achieving my daily goals in practice and in races was so satisfying that I quickly became hooked, and from there, my passion grew.
“My high school career was a dream. I can’t just pick one race or moment that defined my career, there were so many incredible moments. One incredible moment was becoming the National Champion in the mile in 11th grade by setting a NJ state record by running 4:39.25, which converted to a 4:37.6 1600m. Additionally, I was able to represent Team USA at the World Junior Championships in Beijing, China where I finished 13th in the world in the 1500m in my junior year.
“Overall, I would say my journey in college was pretty rocky. As a freshman, I was competing at the University of Michigan on the varsity team while I was adjusting to so many things: college classes, managing adulthood, adjusting to the high intensity and high mileage training in college, etc. It was overwhelming and I would say there were more ups than downs. I was training at the highest level I ever had, but I was completely exhausted from the training load on race days. Saying it was a struggle would be an understatement. But I remained steadfast to my work ethic and goals and eventually things clicked over time.
“Other accomplishments of mine included placing 3rd at the 2012 US Road Mile championships and placing 1st in the 1500m and 3rd in the 4×400 in 2013 at the Maccabiah Games (Jewish Olympics). In college, my highlights included competing on the DMR at UofM and winning four straight Big Ten titles, earning three first-team All-American titles, and winning the DMR and 4x1500m at the Penn Relays Carnival.
“Now as a school counselor, mom of two, and former WOHS coach, I am still very much in love with running. It is something I look forward to every single day. It is my escape and my biggest form of self-care after a challenging day at work or at home with little ones. It keeps me balanced and overall makes me feel alive and healthy. I cannot imagine what my life would be like had I never joined the XC team in high school. It truly changed the trajectory of my entire life and I am forever grateful because of it! Remember you are more than just an athlete. Don’t let your love and goals within your sport prevent you from growing in or enjoying your other passions. They matter too! If you focus solely on this one area of your life, you risk losing yourself in the process and losing your joy/love for the sport. Ultimately, keeping things fun while working hard is key to long-term success in any sport and quite frankly, in life,” School Counselor Danielle Barnes said.
