A Runner's Dream by Lacey

A Runner's Dream by Lacey - December 2016 Scholarship Essay

I would say that I have many accomplishments throughout my high school career. I started as a shy girl with an odor to a confident woman who smells like Bath and Body. I would have never thought that I would run seven miles for fun but here I am, enjoying every minute of it.
When I was brought into this world, I had a hip deficiency on my left hip. I struggled with things that involved balance and could not ride a bike until I was about eight years old. In junior high, to my surprise, I thought that I would be in contact sports such as basketball and volleyball. I was never very good at sports and I was reminded often by the girls on my team. I vividly remember the head cross country coach came up to me one day and asked me to join the team in eighth grade. My first instinct was to say no but that year I did not go out for volleyball, meaning that I got out of my comfort zone by saying yes. The coach was very excited for me and made me feel welcome instantly.
My first day of practice was a hot, windy afternoon. My coach put me on a dirt road and told me to run until I could not anymore. It felt as if the run was over in a flash and when I stopped, my coach told me, to his surprise, that I had ran three miles. I had no idea that I could accomplish such a workout! Ever since eighth grade I have ran and worked every day to accomplish my dream to become a good runner. I train year round to try to push myself to the limit that I have not yet reached. Throughout training, I have taught myself to accept failure, have mental control, and to brush myself off and work harder. I have worked through harsh weather, stress, injury, and tears and I would never want to suffer that much with any other sport. Due to this hard work, I have made five Regional Runner Awards, three All-state Runner Awards, a Runner Hall of Fame Award in Bowman County High School, and I was a candidate for Senior of the Year Award in cross country. I am sure many people would guess that those honors were my greatest accomplishments but in reality, they are just plaques.
To me, the learning experiences and happy memories are my favorite things to remember. In high school I have learned sportsmanship by cheering and waiting for every single girl to cross the finish line. In my opinion, it does not matter if a girl is practically walking the whole race, as long as she finished it and gave her best effort, she deserves a praise and a high five. By doing this, I have met people from all over the state of North Dakota and even across the United States. To me, my greatest accomplishments are how I was able to come out of my shell, feel accepted, make my parents proud, and how I am able to do something that doctors thought that I would never do which is to simply run. These are the accomplishments that I am most proud of. I am happy that I have inspired the people around me by deciding to run collegiately. I do not care for the awards and publicity; I care that when I leave Bowman High School, I had made a positive impact on the community.