When I was a junior in high school, I joined my school’s cross country team. It was a risky decision at the time, being that I had never run further than the required gym class mile. I talked it over with some of the people from the team whom I had met via track and field (I mostly stuck to field events), and they seemed optimistic about my potential and convinced me to take a leap of faith and join.

I was overweight, slow, and awkward when I went out for my first run with the team. I was barely a half mile into the run when I tripped on the uneven sidewalk and ended up with gashes on my hands, knees, and elbows. I still have two scars to this day; they remind me of my own beginnings. I still went back to practice the next day, with bandaged knees, hands, and elbows, and I kept on going back while giving up my entire summer to learn the art of running.

When that first meet came, I was terrified the moment the gun went off and dozens of runners set off on their 3.1 mile journey. My first race was awful: It was hot, I was in pain, and I was in last place. But I fought through the pain and the tears all the way to the finish line. I refused to give up. I refused to let myself fail. I slowly improved throughout the season, setting a new personal record almost every race. By the end of the season I had dropped my time by over 10 minutes and was even able to run in my district’s cross country championships.

By taking the chance and going out for cross country, I gained so much more than I had thought. I made so many wonderful friends whom I may have never met if I hadn’t taken the chance and joined the team. These people aren’t just teammates, they are my friends for life. Even though everyone is in separate places now, we all make time to visit each other, catch up, and cheer on those who are still racing.

Even though I’m not racing at my university, it doesn’t mean I’ve stopped running. I make sure to run almost every day, and it really helps me stay healthy and happy. My passion for running will never fade. Nothing is better than that feeling you get when you have given your all. Running is what makes me, me. It sets me free, it gets me through bad days, and makes good ones even better.

Cross country has changed me as a person. I am so much stronger now than I was before it. I am now also much more outgoing, healthy, and happy. Running has taught me to just keep going, no matter what obstacles are in front of me, I have to just keep going. I will do anything to achieve success because I know what it feels like to fail.

So if you’re ever thinking about taking a risk, whether it be asking someone out or joining a team, go for it. You never know what great things may lurk just around the corner.