1. Kept me healthy.

Running long and short distances for at least 30 minutes a day is so beneficial. Research shows that it boosts your cardiovascular system, relieves stress on joints, and improves your overall health. It also regulates weight, induces normal sleep patterns, and even enhances mood.

2. Led me to conquer goals.

When I was a part of track and field, my coaches had me set goals every week. We learned how to and when to make goals and then how to step up to the plate. As I grew in my athleticism, they got more and more intense. Learning not only how to create them, but also how to conquer them, has helped me to do the same in other areas of my life.

3. Taught me about success and failure.

Succeeding is easy. It feels good and is a rewarding experience. Then again, sometimes we win and sometimes we lose. Failure is difficult to cope with. I can remember times when I was ready to give up at the drop of a hat, but I didn't. I kept going, learned from my mistakes, and set new goals to make sure the same thing wouldn't happen again.

4. Helped me to stand up and to stand down.

In track and field (and many other sports), everyone needs to be a leader, and everyone needs to be a teammate. Even if you aren't the fastest one out there, simply giving a friend a pep talk before their big race could be all the leadership someone needs. Being a teammate is important, too. Say your friend wins a competition, but it meant that you had to lose. Learning how to be proud of them is difficult but is also an important life lesson.

5. Showed me the effects of effort.

All in all, if you work hard, it will come to you. There were a lot of girls out there who could run faster, jog longer, and jump higher than I, but I put in the work, and I was out there training every day. At some points, I thought it would never end, and I would never get where I wanted to go, but I was wrong. Eventually, it all paid off and I came out on top along with all the other women who trained hard beside me.