Running with Asthma by Christina

Running with Asthma by Christina - May 2022 Scholarship Essay

During my time at Indian Hills, I have tried to get involved in many different programs, including sports, clubs, and service opportunities. One such opportunity that has stood out the most, both in experience and time commitment, was running. While on paper, winter track and spring track are two different sports they have been seen as one program for my four years in high school. However, that program has been anything but the same. Through a turn of events in my school the entire coaching staff, including the head coach, were replaced when I joined the sport as a freshman. While the sprint coach has changed every season, the head coach and my commitment to the sport has stayed the same. Despite my love of running, asthma has always been a huge struggle that I have had to overcome, and because of that a fight with the head coach.
In freshman year my struggle with asthma was extremely apparent but I was determined to do as much of the workout as I could and my commitment to the sport pushed me through. I knew my limits but the head coach insisted he knew better. He did everything he could to sit me out even if I assured him that I was fine and could continue running. The game-changer came when boredom brought upon by Covid made me decide to join cross country, in the fall of my junior year. I had previously sworn off distance running because of my breathing but I thought I should give it a try in order to get out of the house. Much to my surprise the sport actually majorly improved my lung capacity after only 10 weeks, even though it was extremely difficult. Because of this, I was able to come back to winter track stronger than ever and ready to fight. With another new sprint coach, we jumped into another season and I was able to really compete despite the head coach’s thoughts.
This year has truly been the game-changer though. The coach changed, once again, for spring track and I had no hope it would be any different than other times. However, this coach knew exactly what sprinting was about. His new workouts and coaching techniques have shattered the clocks of Indian Hills Track and made every athlete better than ever. Among us, he thought I had real potential and named me captain, ignoring the head coach's input. I lead the team on smaller workouts along with taking us through the warm-ups every day before practice begins. Through this, the head coach has finally admitted to my face that he shouldn’t have underestimated me and that I make a great leader. My commitment has really carried me through this adversity and I plan to commit to much bigger things as I go through life.