I stood on the starting line, shaking with excited nervousness. Bang! The starting gun fired, and the 2020 Utah State Cross Country meet began. 150 runners surged towards a hilly 3.1-mile loop perched on a mountain slope at 6,000 feet.

The ensuing moments were a whirlwind. Merging into a surging mass of cross country runners, I charged toward a daunting hill. Clinging to the pack of runners, I ascended a half mile-long hill, only revealing more hills to ascend. I pressed on, working my body towards exhaustion. Two miles in, the temptation to quit nearly overwhelmed me. My legs begged for a break, my lungs cried for relief, and my heart pounded in protest. Doubt crept in, but something deep inside forced me onward. For the last mile, the surrounding world around me blurred as I pushed my leaden legs forward. But as I crossed the finish line, pride overwhelmed me, shared with my team.

Until this race, I ran because I had natural talent. This marked a turning point where my motivation for running transformed into passion: appreciation for my team, the broader community of runners, even competitors; recognition for the work I put in and the challenges overcame; and, most importantly, a passion for breaking barriers and becoming the best version of myself I can possibly be.

This experience reshaped my perspective, influencing every aspect of my life. Running became my compass, guiding me toward self-discovery and growth. It taught resilience, perseverance, and the ability to find strength not just in spite of but, critically, because of discomfort. With each step and each breath, I’ve grown.

This growth has also helped me academically. Lessons from running have instilled an innate appreciation for the transformative power of challenges and the determination required to conquer them. This understanding has propelled not only how I learn, but why I learn. From visualizing Calculus III concepts to modeling mechanics of an object, from debugging code to addressing hardware challenges of building a “smart-shoe,” this mindset I gained from running inspires me to approach every challenge with passion, permeating every facet of my academic studies.