Each competitor is set in their blocks, and with the blaring sound of a gunshot, senior Gabby Miller becomes Lightning McQueen. From a very small age, Gabby was surrounded by the sport of running. Initially partaking at soccer practices for intense conditioning, that all changed when she hit seventh grade. 

“I started track in seventh grade mainly because everyone else was doing it, and it was a big thing,” Gabby said. “I actually quit soccer for track because I lost my passion for soccer with all the competitiveness and because my old school, when I did middle school track, had soccer in the fall and track in the spring so I could do both, but now moving here, I had to choose.”

Choosing one sport over the other wasn’t such a difficult decision to make for Gabby. After all, compared to the fact that she had just packed up her bags and moved hundreds of miles away from everything she’d ever known, it was practically a piece of cake. Parting ways with all of her old friends, classmates, and teammates, was without a doubt the most difficult thing Gabby has ever had to endure.

“Moving schools was the hardest thing I’ve ever done because I basically grew up with all those kids, and then I had to start all over again,” Gabby said. “It was a huge school too, each class was 800 people, and going down to a class of 200, it was like everyone knows who I am which was super uncommon at a school that big, so that was definitely a scary thing.”

Scared out of her mind about the move to a school this foreign and tiny, Gabby turned to track as her constant. Putting forth as much effort as possible at every practice, Gabby is now a resident member of FHC’s track team. 

“In cooperation with being a new student, track definitely helped me to grow as a person and grow into being a Ranger from a Tiger,” said Gabby. “Rangers are the ones who attack the Tigers so I guess, in a way, I really did evolve. I went up the food chain.” 

Now, competing in events like the 400 and the 4×100 relay amongst other hurdle events, Gabby has found her home within her teammates and the exciting adventures they have had. One of her favorites is the big tent set up before every meeting that the whole team piles underneath to stay warm and dry when it occasionally rains. The adventures she has with the team are unmatched, so Gabby has an uneasy feeling about this spring being her senior season. 

“For some weird reason, I enjoy running and track, especially the people, the workouts,” Gabby said. “It’s hard to believe it’s already the end of February, and the fact that I only have three months left, that’s basically the season of track so once that’s over, then I’m gone. It‘s just weird knowing I’m not going to do track in college so I just have to attempt to give it my all [this season]. It’s so bittersweet, but I’m hoping to have the sweet taste of victory with a new prize this year.”

Not quite yet ready to part with her Ranger family track team, Gabby has high hopes for this season. As a person, this sport is more than just exercise and a fun time. It’s helped her grow in unimaginable ways, as well as aided in her move to a brand new school.

Although Gabby is unsure what will happen in her future involving track, she hopes the fitness aspect follows her throughout her years, but for now, she plans on focusing on this season—hoping to make her last one the best. 

“I’ve learned a lot and become stronger,” Gabby said, “and track will always be a part of me even as a retired runner, but I’m hoping that fitness in that respect will continue. This season though, I want to be like the mantra that you see in movies where it’s like ‘I am strong, I am confident, I got this,’ but I want to be like Lightning McQueen, like ‘I am speed.’”