By Emma Moriarty

“Whatever you do, don’t ever stop running.” These words were some that sophomore Rachel Dinh came to run by. They were said by her older brother Victor, a freshman at Tufts University, and Tempe Prep Cross Country alum.

“My brother was really enthusiastic when I told him I was doing cross country,” Rachel explains, “He said to never walk. I took his advice and found out that running is as much a physical sport as it is a mental one. After the first day of practice I was so tired it seemed impossible that I would be able to run the next day, but I did. It was so hot. The team helps a lot. Running with people to motivate you makes it much easier, but it is also important to find motivation within yourself. My first 5K time was around 28 minutes, but I just kept pushing myself every practice and every meet. I can’t wait until the season begins next year!”

Rachel finished at the sectional meet by cutting nearly 6 minutes off her original time, an amazing feat especially for one who joined this year. It is great to see that our athletes are so motivated to improve and use each other’s strengths to help them. Let’s hope that our cross country team continues doing so well each year!