Emily Bids Farewell

I’m strongly contemplating how to put into words how being an athlete at Saint Mary’s has changed my life. If I could write everything on my mind you would have to read a chapter book. Track has always been a part of my life. It has taken me to so many places and taught me much about life. The first lesson I’ve learned from track is not to false start. When beginning anything, you must start with stability, confidence and strength even if you’re so nervous you could pee your pants. Lesson #2: Success comes to those who work. If you don’t work then don’t expect greatness. Lesson #3: Your mentality is everything. If you think that you’re going to fail, then you will fail. Life is about believing in yourself. Lesson #4: Don’t lose your focus. It is so easy to be distracted by the little things that by the time you’re ready to start your race you don’t have a shirt on. My fellow athletes have been some of the best people I’ve met thus far in life. You have kept me sane when I’ve thought I was going to go crazy, you’ve cheered me up when I was feeling down and you’ve always given me support. A special thanks to the freshmen for being cool, to the “old freshmen” for being my strength, and to all the others that have made Saint Mary’s track such a wonderful experience. Thank you, Kirk, for being a great coach, counselor, and friend. You have made me more than a better athlete, you’ve made me a better person. You have taught me to persevere even when failure seems inevitable. Thank you, Ward, for being yourself. Your advice may sometimes not make sense to me, but you care enough to give it and I appreciate that. Thank you Brooke, Shanon and Jake. You are my family, my confidants, my precious few. Thank you Dad, Mom, Erin and Rob. Your support, love and encouragement have gotten me through so many races and so many hard times. I love you all so much. You guys are my world. To conclude this Senior Salute, I’d like to give some advice of my own. Life is not about how many medals you can earn or how many records you can break. Life is not about how fast you run the race, but how you run the race. Always run with pride, with humbleness and with kindness. Appreciate your competitors and love your team mates. And always be the best runner you can be. Thanks for the memories.