I grew up watching my sister, Angie, compete for high school state championships in the mile and two-mile. I remember begging to be able to run in Jr. Olympic meets like my sister, Amy. My brother, Joe, only fueled the fire by screaming around the track in Jr. High 4x4 relays. From a very early age, I was destined for a life of athletics. I cut my teeth running 400s and 4x4s from age 9 to 16. Sure, there was the occasional long jump or 100 meter, but I found out quickly that I was a long sprinter. By the time I was a senior, I found my bread and butter, the 800. My coach unexpectedly put me in the 800 at our high school conference meet and I ended up running a huge pr of 1:54 and change. My high school teammate was just ahead of me and we got first and second for our team. I’d say that that race was where it all really started. I can still picture the final kick as if it happened yesterday. I remember the feeling of gutting out the last stretch, limbs flailing and my form breaking down, and it felt like a white noise of burning pain mixed with an unwavering drive to pass every last guy before I ran out of space. It was a feeling that I would know many more times before my middle distance days were over.I enrolled at Kent State University the next fall and got acquainted with my new family on the track team. The next five years at Kent were the best of my running career. I not only got the most out of my running ability, I also made friends that I’ll have for the rest of my life. I quickly adjusted to the college level of competition during my freshman year where I repeatedly bested my personal record on almost a weekly basis. Through intense lactic acid producing workouts and an ability to run a little mileage for the first time, I was able to knock 7 seconds off of my high school best by the time I ran at Jr. Nationals. That particular race was a huge breakthrough where I ran 1:47 for the first time and earned me the opportunity to represent the US on the Pan-Am Jr. team in Barbados. The next year, 2004, was an Olympic year and I was on a roll. Early into the indoor season I ran another 147 and qualified for the NCAA indoor championships. I won my prelim heat but ended up finishing 7th in the final due to tactical errors. Basically, I felt the need to lead the race and some of my competitors knew it. I wasted so much energy trying to front run that I was gassed by the last 100. I took this lesson with me to the Olympic Trials that year and decided to run from the back. I basically kept contact with the group but saved everything for the final kick, knowing that the pace would be quick. I hit my all-time pr of 1:47.23 in the prelim and made it to the semi-final. My trials were over in the semi as I missed the final by .04 but it was the experience of a lifetime to be 9th at the trials and overcome the adversity of a hip injury in the process. The whole process taught me and my coach a lot about not putting limits on oneself or others and to learn from and persevere through the tough times. I certainly surprised everyone being a 19 year old and not highly recruited out of high school. Ultimately, the experience helped fortify my determination and helped me become a goal oriented, driven, individual.