At 22 years old, I’m college-educated, a HYROX athlete, and a nuclear engineer: So, by most post-grad standards, I’m doing pretty well. However, just 10 months ago, I was a disappointed college athlete, crying on the turf after a bad race, who was terrified to graduate and leave college life behind.
I started running cross-country during my freshman year of high school. My best friend convinced me to try it because there were fewer than seven girls on the team, so we were guaranteed a varsity spot. I was clueless about the sport: After my first practice, I got home and asked my dad, “Why do we run so much?” which prompted him to explain that the entire sport is literally just running.
I continued to run cross-country throughout high school, and ended up joining the track team my senior year. I primarily ran the 800-meter and fell in love with it because it was so much shorter than cross-country distances. I even became good enough at it to get recruited by the head coach of the Rowan University Women’s Cross-Country and Track & Field team. And so, my journey as a college student-athlete began.
During the summer of 2023, before my junior year of college, I wanted to realize my potential in my sport. So, I set a goal of qualifying individually for the Division III NCAA National Track Meet. I ran 512 miles that summer and ended up placing eighth at my regional meet… but only the top seven athletes qualified for Nationals. I was heartbroken, but nonetheless, I set my sights on the indoor and outdoor track seasons in the winter and spring.
During both seasons, I missed qualifying in my respective event by less than two seconds. Heading into my senior year, I continued to train, hoping that I would move the needle forward just a little bit. However, at the 2024 Regionals, I placed eighth again. Shortly after, I fell on a pre-meet run and sprained my ankle.
Toward the end of college, I was overwhelmed by the idea of time running out, and I let anxiety and pressure consume me to the point where it affected my racing substantially. I loved pursuing my goals on the track, but I was terrified of how I would approach everyday life once my goal ceased to exist — not only because there were no more meets or opportunities to qualify, but also because my time as a student-athlete was coming to an end.
When I first entered post-grad life, I had no idea what to do now that I could no longer train to win any NCAA medals. I continued to run with no clear sight of why I was running, my body was hurting after years of pushing myself, and I felt lost. I have a vivid memory of crying on the steps in front of my house after a three-mile run right after I graduated, and telling my friend how I forgot how to love running. I felt like I had so many unfinished goals, and didn’t know where to go from there.
I was scrolling on YouTube Shorts that night, and I found a video of an interesting race — one that wasn’t just running, but consisted of eight one-kilometer runs and eight functional exercises (ski erg, sled push, sled pull, burpee broad jump, row erg, farmer’s carry, walking lunges, and wall balls). The race was called HYROX. I had a gut feeling I could do well in the race, so right then and there I decided to make a switch. I found a HYROX coach online and began my journey. Instantly, I loved it. I was able to continue running, but I also got to explore the gym. I started training persistently for 16 weeks for my first HYROX race while working full-time, and it has been one of the most enjoyable experiences of my athletic career.
I competed in my first HYROX race and finished second in my age group with a time of 1:11:53. However, putting the time and place aside, the best part of the experience was seeing so many other adults push themselves to be better and meeting inspiring people who worked extremely hard to be at that race.
As a student-athlete, I always thought I would feel lost post-grad — especially when it came to fitness. But now, I am starting to feel like I can find fulfillment that is greater than the college goals I thought I had to achieve in order to feel successful.
Without college athletics, I wouldn’t be where I am today, and I am forever grateful for the experience to learn how to chase a goal, fail, get back up, and try again. But, you can choose to continue your journey in any way you enjoy in your post-grad life — and sometimes, that means finding new ways to move your body to make you feel good.