Passion is the Key to Success — A Student-Athlete’s Accomplishments in the Honors Program Minoo Yar Kaitlin Miller has loved to run since her childhood. She was introduced to other sports but chose cross-country and track. Her upbringing with her parents strongly influenced her passion for running as her parents are both athletic individuals. One of the experiences that deepened her love of running was when she was in high school and set a personal record by one minute for the 3000-meter race. She remembered the amazing feeling she had arriving at the finish line, as one of her coaches gave her a warm, proud embrace. She felt even more pride, however, in getting through her difficult post-COVID-19 recovery after falling ill in summer 2020. With the breathing difficulties she had long after the infection, she couldn’t perform up to her usual standards. But finishing
her first cross-country race that fall, even though she finished last, counts as her proudest moments as a student-athlete. She recognizes that the effort and perseverance she showed marks this race as a satisfying and significant milestone. The memories she shared with her teammates in college also strengthened her love of running as she and her teammates would bond by preparing a meal together weekly. One of Miller’s personal goals was to work on mental strength since she tends to put herself down. For instance, when she had an unsuccessful workout, she relied on her group of teammates for support. “If one of us does have a bad
Kaitlin Miller, senior pre-physical therapy major.
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