As I am quickly approaching the tail end of my time as an official "athlete," I think about the blood, sweat and tears I have shed in the past four years. As the end creeps up, I think about this particular goodbye. This one is different, as it should be.
This goodbye isn't just for the season. I will not return to the track after an exhilarating and relaxing summer, knowing I should have probably attempted at least one workout in the past three months. Nope, this time is the real thing. This goodbye is forever.
Am I happy? Am I sad? Do I even know the answer to those questions? Was it worth it? It is difficult to seek for the answers to any of these questions before it is really over.
As much as I like to believe that for the past four years I have been living the plot line of Fergie's infamous song, "Glamorous," flaunting my team gear and discussing my athlete lifestyle with everyone who I came in contact with, I realize this is not the case. 20 hours a week, traveling on a cramped coach bus seat every weekend is far from "G-L-A-M-O-R-O-U-S."
But with the end in sight, I am hopeful for my future because of what college athletics has taught me. As I digress, my mental portfolio of thank you notes is bursting at the seams. The most important are as follows:
Thank you to the sport for teaching me that passion alone is enough to push you through the pain and keep you returning back day after day.
Thank you to my competition for sharing my love for the sport but also forcing me to bring my A-game every single day.
Thank you to my teammates for acting as a second family, because let's be honest, you see your teammates way more than your actual family.
And last, but certainly not least, thank you to me for sticking with it during the lowest of lows and for taking each failure only to become stronger from it.
So yes, college athletics is flashy at times but, behind the curtain, it is difficult. As I close this chapter in my book, I am grateful for my journey and for those who have been apart of it.
It was not easy but I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. The experiences have made me who I am today, good or bad, happy or sad. I will always cherish the memories and appreciate the hard work.
So, as my farewell to college athletics, I say goodbye to the person I have been for the past four years and hello to new opportunities! It was not, as Fergie would put it, "glamorous" by any means, but it was an adventure.
