Describe an extracurricular activity you participated in for school and how it impacted you. by MaKayla

Describe an extracurricular activity you participated in for school and how it impacted you. by MaKayla - December 2013 Scholarship Essay

In life I have experienced many extracurricular activities that impacted me, but the one that impacted me the most was running track in junior high up until high school. Running is my life and it has changed my life in many ways. It was something that I could always fall back on and I will forever love running the rest of my life. The reasons why it has impacted my life in so many ways was because of team work, being a leader and a coach, and going through all the trials it put me through.

In track many of my races were just me competing against other schools. In junior high I didn't believe that track was a team sport unless you ran in the relays and wanted your school to win tournaments. I was wrong completely. In high school I learned that even your weakest link can be your biggest help. When you go to practice and you are doing all of your intervals you don't have the other girls to race against every day. It is your team that is their to push you. Without having your team to run against you wouldn't increase your personal records hardly as much. I went through days were I couldn't run with my team because I was injured and even though the girls pushed me they were also mental support as well. I didn't have them their telling me I could do that one last four-hundred meeter interval. So when I was tired it was easier to give up. They were their for me and I was their for them.

As I had their support there for me, at practice and during races, I became the leader I am today. As they helped me be that great runner I was on varsity I wanted to show my respect to them by helping them out as much as they did myself. I would go and push them every day at practice, constantly tell them they were doing great, and to keep pushing because the rewards after would feel amazing. I was asked to be a captain and I was so blessed. I knew that this position was going to help me so much to become that successful leader I wanted to be. It also meant that I had to keep up my endurance and do the best I could everyday to be the role model to my girls. Near the end of my high school track experience my coach decided that he wasn't going to participate in a lot of the junior varsity meets unless varsity was there. I decided that it was my job as a captain to step up and go and coach the girls that were running. Every girl needs a coach to help her out during a race because it is actually very strategic. So, I was that coach. I took work off for all of their meets and made it work for my schedule. It was hard at times but I was the girl they looked up to and I wanted to do it.

Other then the trials of moving my schedule around to work with the junior varsity girls, I had many other problems while running. I was injured multiple times and it was really hard for me. I pulled my groin twice and coming back from that it still hurts to workout but I ran through it. I also injured my I.T. bands, which are by your knees. Being injured I knew how to help the other girls that got injured in the same way. They could come to me and as what to do if they were injured. That was awesome that they could come to me. The last major injury, that I had got during my junior year after the track season was over, was the hardest thing I have ever went through. I had to get surgery on my foot because I had frostbite between my toes on my left foot. I was out all summer and through my senior year of cross country. I wasn't sure if I could run track and it was heart breaking. I learned during this time that I need to make sure that I realize what are my blessings in my life and be grateful for them. when they are gone they are gone. When my foot finally was healed I got to run track my senior year and I was so blessed to be able to live my dream again.

In conclusion, I have learned that running has shaped me to be the women that I am today. It has taught me to work hard, overcome challenges, become a leader as well as a coach, and don't take things for granted. I will be forever thankful for the things I got to accomplish through track. I am an amazing women today and I am so happy to have the opportunities I received through running.