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As the 2022 Cross Country season approaches this fall, sophomore, Brooke Barber, is clear on what she wants to do to accomplish big things, using invaluable lessons that she has learned over the years.

The contributing factors

Approaching the race, thoughts crowd the runners’ minds as they are filled with nerves, yet Barber reminds herself of ways to stay at ease.

“I kind of progress into this mindset of like I’m here, I know what I need to accomplish, I know what I need to do for my team, I know what my coaches have told me,” Barber said.

Although running is an individual sport, having a team not only helps to bring the athletes together, but it also allows them to continue to learn from one another.

“Like having a really close connection and making really good friends and then also like the mental toughness and you push yourself to see what your limits are and you just keep improving,” Barber said.

Other than the push from her teammates, the drive that Barber has is ultimately a big factor to her success.

“I think I’m a little hard on myself because when I don’t run my best race I kind of think about like what I could have done better so like if I didn’t get out fast enough, if I didn’t pace it right, if I went up too fast,” Barber said. “You just think about the entirety of the race.”

Growing a love for it

While the Barber’s experiences may make it seem as if she has been running competitively for quite some time now, she only recently took up the sport a few years back.

“I actually did dance for about seven to eight years and I wanted something new. My dad ran in college, so I just thought it’d be kind of cool to try to share that experience with him, and I ended up really enjoying it so far,” Barber said.

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