I’ve been involved in sports since the day I turned 7 -- the day I ran my first 5k. Before that, my mom ran high school and college cross country, and now my brother is running high school cross country, and is even a state qualifier.

Running is something that is engrained in me. I can tell a high performance tennis shoe from a cheap one, the right stretches to warm up, and where to run anywhere in my area.

However, my experience in this doesn’t even compare to that of a college athlete. While my running days ended my senior year of high school, theirs continues to grow during some of the most important years of their lives.

The equestrian team at UT Martin is a vital part to student’s lives. It gives students a way to go to school, and a family and team once they get there. Not only does it fund these students’ education, but it also does so much more than that.

Over the next few weeks, I’m going to explore the University of Tennessee at Martin’s equestrian team to find out why athletics at colleges is so important, and especially why this particular team at this school makes a difference.

Please join me in reading what equestrian does for students at UT Martin, and why it must remain an important part to students’ experiences here at UT Martin.