You Don't Have to Be Fast — Just Show Up

This month, I want to talk about sports. There are plenty of people who will flat-out tell you they don't care much for playing them. They might have friends who do, or they watch soccer and football on TV, but they have no interest in participating themselves. And that's totally OK — I personally ran cross-country for all four years of high school, and I won't pretend the actual running part was easy.

But here's the thing: I don't really remember much of the running itself. What I do remember are the people and the memories we made together. I met some of my closest friends through that sport, and it gave us a built-in group to hang out with throughout high school and something to bond over. There were even days when we skipped running altogether and went swimming in a nearby lake or explored the surrounding forests — but don't tell my coaches that.

I won't sugarcoat it — it was tough sometimes, especially being one of the slower members of the team. But looking back, the good far outweighed the bad, and I'm really glad I stuck with it.

The mental health benefits are worth talking about too. Whatever sport you choose, you can feel good knowing you're doing something to keep your body moving. Even regular walks are enough to give your brain the signal that you're taking care of yourself — and that matters more than most people realize.

I want to share a specific moment that really shaped my mindset over the course of cross-country. I truly believe that if you go into an experience expecting to hate it, you probably will — so your mental headspace matters. Each year, our team did a long run to a nearby breakfast spot along an established trail. The first time, I lagged behind, arrived exhausted, and was so disappointed in myself that I couldn't even enjoy the meal at the end. But my final year, I made a simple decision: just focus on finishing and doing my best. It didn't matter if I wasn't the fastest — I just wanted some breakfast.

And you know what? I finished. I lagged behind again, but this time, I sat down, ate a full meal, and genuinely enjoyed it. I wasn't focused on how well I had run — I let it go and just shared a good meal with my friends. That small mental shift made all the difference.

At the end of the day, I can honestly say I have zero regrets about running cross-country. And I really do think most people would feel the same way if they gave extracurricular sports a fair shot.