The story of how I found myself running in college isn’t what you’re expecting.
In fact, it’s pretty unique.
For the first 16 years of my life, all I knew was soccer.
I absolutely loved it.
But running pulled my heart in a different direction.
In my junior year of high school, I decided to join the cross country team to stay in shape for soccer.
And that was that.
I completely fell in love with distance running. I trained through the winter and then grew even more obsessed with the faster challenge of track.
Running helped me clear my mind and find my center.
When I was younger, I never dreamed of playing any sport in college.
Life had other plans, though.
Now, I’m a walk-on DI runner at Clemson.
I didn’t always realize what God was doing in my life but, now that I understand, I want to tell my story.
It all starts with a random call I didn’t answer…
College Decisions
When I realized my distance times were comparable to my friends’ times who were reaching out to college coaches, I thought I may as well throw my spikes in the ring too.
I started reaching out to coaches, and, even though the COVID recruitment process was strange to navigate, I narrowed it down to Clemson.
I wanted to be a Tiger whether or not I could run there. I sent one last email to the coach. It was my final effort to join the team.
Then, one day, when I was least expecting it, I received a call from a random number.
I let it go to voicemail because I didn’t recognize it.
When I listened to the voicemail, I was mortified.
It was Coach Pounds.
I was so embarrassed, but it all worked out in the end.
We set up a time to talk the following day, and she offered me a position as a walk-on.
My experience with the team has been an adventure, and I’m just so blessed she took a chance on me.
The moral of the story is, if you’re waiting for a call from your dream college coach, save their number in your phone.
Culinary creativity
My passion for cooking runs as deep as my passion for running.
I’ve always loved spending time in the kitchen.
There’s just something so special about creating a meal from scratch and sharing it with the people you love.
Growing up, I was always experimenting with different recipes while cooking meals for my parents and brother.
Seeing their smiles and hearing their reactions when they take that first bite is such a joy for me, and it’s one of the reasons why I love to cook.
I love being a chef for my roommates, friends and boyfriend, too. Our meals together are some of my favorite memories.
When COVID hit, I had a lot of extra time on my hands, so I decided to document my foodie adventures with an Instagram account.
When I first started my account, I was hesitant to share too much about my personal life, but my followers were eager to learn more about me, and they encouraged me to share more of my story.
I’m so glad I took their advice.
I have so many recipes saved on Pinterest that I always wanted to try, and I finally had the time to do so. I also love sharing helpful grocery hauls and shopping vlogs. Grocery shopping and meal prepping can be intimidating for college students, so I hope my content helps refresh excitement for their routines.
Running and food are intrinsically connected. There’s an unhealthy stigma amongst female runners about their relationship with food. Runners don’t need to be smaller to be faster. Runners need fuel. We need to eat well, and hopefully enjoy what we’re eating. I hope my account inspires younger women to enjoy the process of making their meals.
We need to protect female runners’ health, and, for me, that starts by making food fun and freeing.
My Instagram is my place to share my love of running and cooking with the world, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to do so.
I want my followers to know it’s okay to have multiple passions and interests.
Cooking is my creativity.
I’m a college athlete, but I’m also a foodie.
I don’t have to choose between the two, and I don’t want other people to feel like they have to choose between their interests either.
I want to inspire my followers to find what they love and do more of it, and that’s one of the main messages I try to share on my page.
Running for joy
I named my Instagram account “Good Food, Good Run.”
When I started sharing my story, I was more hesitant about leaning into the “Good Run” part, but then I realized something.
Anyone can post a vlog following a banana bread recipe, but only I can share my experiences finding my stride as a runner.
I hope each running or recovery vlog gives my audience insight into who I am.
Even the voiceovers are cool because I’m literally able to tell my own story.
I want my videos to be a friendly force in the running community that embraced me in high school.
I also want to show people that it’s okay to be a work in progress.
I’m a walk-on at Clemson, and I’m not the fastest runner on the team, but I’m proud of the progress I’ve made and the hard work I’ve put in to get to where I am today.
I want to inspire the “average” runners out there who may feel like they don’t belong.
You do.
You’re a runner because you lace up your shoes and hit the road. (Please stretch first though, it’s worth it. I promise.)
You don’t have to be the fastest or the best to make an impact on your team or in your corner of the running world.
I want to cheer on every runner at any stage of their training.
I want my followers to know that they are enough just as they are, and I hope my videos are a source of encouragement and inspiration to them.
Doing what I love
If my story teaches you anything, I hope it teaches you that you deserve to sparkle with joy.
I’m a college athlete, and I get to run at one of the best schools in the country.
I’m also a foodie, and I get to share my passion for cooking and baking with my followers.
I’m so grateful that I get to live out my dreams every single day, and I want other people to experience that same joy and fulfillment as well.
Do what you love, and you’ll love what you do.
That’s my motto, and it’s one that I try to live by every single day.
