A person who falls and gets back up is much stronger than a person who never fell

-Anonymous

October 27, 2018 was a moment that my team and I had been training for for the past 4 years. Every mile, every workout, every minute we put into our training led up to this day; regionals. The regional meet was run with the top 7 runners on each team competing and the top three teams with the lowest team score, advance to the state finals. Our team had committed to working as hard as we could with the goal in mind of being top three at the state finals. In the past, our track season has had more success with many state qualifiers individually, but this meant more; we needed everyone to do their part to help us move on. Going into the meet, we were the third ranked team in the state, and I had been our front runner for the team all year, so we went with high expectations to do well. No one could have predicted the outcome that followed.

Waiting at the line for the gun to sound was like waiting in line at the secretary of state; It seemed like forever. As I felt the cold, 40 degree rain drops slowly make my body more numb as time passed, I was shockingly ready for the moment we had been waiting for to end. *BANG* the gun went off… and so did we. This race was solely based on how badly a team wanted to win, and we all did. The race was back and forth and every team fought for their right to move forward in their season. Our team knew that it was going to take every person we pass and every position was going to count. As the race wound down, with 200m left to go, my body started to seize up. My vision started becoming blurry, my body felt like it was somewhere else, and before I knew it I passed out and fell on the ground. Even with the pain I felt, I knew my team needed me. I took every ounce of energy I had to stand back up and try to finish. Although I gave everything I had, I fell again, but this time, didn’t get back up. I fell after 3 miles to fall short with the finish mocking me. I opened my eyes and people were standing over me. The most unexpected part of the story was the person yelling at me to get back up; the coach from another school. Not that my coach didn’t care, because he was across the course, but the other coach cared so much to encourage me to get up even while his team was still racing. This coach yelling at me went to school with my dad so I had known him all throughout high school, but he was more concerned about my well being than seeing if his team finished well. This is when I knew how important running as a sport is, and how much it meant to me. But then I blacked out again…

I woke up about 3o minutes late in the ambulance with IVs in me and medics surrounding me. Although I was in a lot of pain, I was more concerned about how we did. My coach came into the ambulance to see how I was doing and to deliver the news. “We didn’t make it,” my coach explained sorrowfully. I took the IVs out of my arms and was filled with so much pain and disappointment, not at my team, but at myself. As I looked over the scores, I noticed our team missed the qualification to state by 7 points, and if I would’ve just finished, we would have possibly won. The emotion that was brought on upon by this destroyed my soul. I sobbed like the rain that fell during the race. I couldn’t bear to face my team knowing that I ruined our chances. As I stepped out of the ambulance, my team was waiting there, ready to embrace me. The pain went away, but the tears did not. We all cried and all the moments and memories I had made with my team began to race through my head. Obviously my team was upset, but they were more concerned about me. I didn’t want them to be but they embraced me and said that it was ok. I never felt such a mixing bowl of emotions before in my life.

Running is important to me and my team, but it’s not everything. The only reason running became so enjoyable for our team is because we were doing it together. Although we didn’t advance, we realized how important each other were. People can become so engulfed in winning and how well you do, but putting forth your best effort with your team in mind is more powerful. Our team grew closer and I know that I grew stronger. My team made me want to give my everything for them because I loved them all. Falling made me realize who I run for, and If I was willing to try and get up regardless of the circumstances, made me realize that giving your all for your team is all a team could ask for. That’s why today I use that day to motivate my running and not take it for granted. I remind myself of the pain it felt on that day, and utilize it to propel my running further.