I grew up on the baseball fields. My brother played from a young age, and of course my Dad was the coach. I remember spending what seemed like every minute there. Week nights, early Saturday mornings from sunrise to sunset. It was no surprise for us to be at the North Tonawanda National Little League Fields. From making friends with the other baseball families, to the daily snack bar trips between each inning were all childhood memories that will last a lifetime. All were great, but one thing really stood out. After every game, my dad let me run around the bases. I would have everyone time me. I would make the boys on the team race me, and I would always win. I remember it being so thrilling. I found a love of racing from the countless times of running around the diamond. That's where it all began. I thank my baseball family for that.

I remember counting down the years until the moment I could go out for the track team. From racing around at the baseball fields, to forcing my brothers to race me to the back shed in my backyard. I finally got my chance to try out for the track team. My dream became a reality and I spent the next six years being on the varsity track team loving every minute of it. It became my whole life. Every time I stepped foot on the track, I felt as if I were home. It was my comfort zone. I could never picture myself not doing it. I spent every weekday at practice and in the gym, every weekend at meets and did it for so long. Our coach became my greatest mentor (and still is), and really made me the athlete and person I am today. I made countless memories and friends that became my family. Everyone who knew me would describe me as “the girl who loved track”. That's what I was known for. The fast girl, the girl who shows so much passion for the sport. When I did have any free time, I didn't know what to do with myself. I would find myself wishing I was at the track. So it only seemed right to continue my track career in college.

I couldn't wait to be a college athlete. I was able to do something I had loved for so long at such a high level. It was such great feeling getting recruited onto a college track team. I remember feeling so accomplished seeing my name on the college roster. Everyone kept telling me how proud they were of me and honestly I was proud of myself. Nobody was surprised to see I was going to be a college track athlete. They knew it was where I belonged. I had countless texts and phone calls asking for my meet schedule as soon as I got it, so they could come out and watch me shine. I had trained all summer. From early morning gym sessions to running around the track, I made sure I got every workout done that the coach had sent out to us. I was so determined to succeed even better than I did in high school. But something changed when I officially got to college...

I no longer felt the passion I once had for this sport. I remember dreading my alarm going off every morning to get to practice on time. I once couldn't wait to go, it didn't matter how early it was. It soon started feeling as if it were a mandatory job rather than a sport I once loved. This is when I realized I had to walk away. I felt as if track defined me though. Who would I be if I walked away from something that once was the only thing I cared about? What would my friends and family think of me? From being the girl defined as track, how would I explain how all my feelings slowly started changing about a sport I once was crazy about. I was scared. I was afraid of what others would say. But I knew it was the right thing to do. I knew I should walk away before the view of this sport completely changed. I wanted to walk away with the feelings I had about track before entering college. And that is just what I did.

I learned that your true friends and family members won't care if you end a chapter you once loved. As long as I was happy, they were too. I now can continue doing what I love most, running. Only at my own time and my own pace. I can do it for myself, and be my own version of the athlete I inspire to be. It is OK to walk away from something you don't have passion for anymore. Every chapter must come to an end at some point. The sport does not define you. Your character defines you.