In a world where most people see running as a struggle, junior Emma Goring finds it as her greatest source of strength. Every mile and challenge has shown her the importance of discipline and patience when trying to achieve her goals. Her story shows that pushing through difficult challenges can often lead to the most rewarding destinations.
“Running has taught me to stay disciplined and to be patient when trying to achieve my goals. I think that it has also taught me to stay consistent; this applies to my life with training, recovery, and lifestyle habits,” Emma stated.
Running takes a lot of discipline, self-motivation, and drive to get far in that sport. It is very much a mental sport as much as it is physical. Imagine having burning lungs and a pounding heart every time you train, plus the occasional cramps. The hardest part about running is to get out of bed and do it all again.
Emma must always keep pushing herself to keep going along with balancing the daily stressors that life has to offer. Even if she faces obstacles in school or challenges with friends she can’t let those impact her drive and consistency to keep going.
“My biggest challenge is trying to stay consistent and motivated, especially since track is such an individual sport where success depends a lot on self-discipline, I try to overcome this by maintaining the motivation to succeed,” Emma said.
The success that Emma has achieved makes it apparent that she practices religiously. Emma mentioned the struggle of the track being so individualist, which is a unique aspect of her sport. But as she also mentioned, that comes with its own struggles. By running alone, the pressure of winning can seem to weigh completely on your shoulders.
Her motivation from her friends, family, and teammates fuels her to be the best athlete she can be. Being an incredible athlete is not only shown in how many gold medals you might have or how many school records you can hold but also in the pride of knowing that you can push yourself further than you could before.
“In seventh grade, I decided to try out for the middle school track team, and after my first couple of meets, I found it very fun,” Emma said. “[That had] kickstarted my love for the sport, and has led me to be where I am in my track journey today.”
One might not think that just going out of your comfort zone and trying a new sport in middle school would lead to a lifelong love and obsession with that sport.
Even though Emma has been running since she joined the track team in seventh grade, she still faces challenges and moments where motivation feels out of reach. Her teammates and coaches are not going to always be the ones who will push her through the tough days; just her drive and determination to do well in the sport will keep her running dream alive.
Although teammates can make a sport more enjoyable, while her main focus was to run and beat her fellow competitors, she enjoys the friends she has made along the way. Ultimately, the people make sports fun and will keep the spark of staying consistent in the sport through the bad days alive.
“Some of my biggest achievements in track include participating in the AAU Junior Olympics in 2024, 2023, and 2022. [I have] the school record for the 4x200m relay, 4x100m relay, and 4x400m relay,” Emma said.
Emma’s achievements are a testament to the power of relentless dedication and perseverance. With each victory, whether it is at the AAU Junior Olympics or as a key member of the record-setting team, her hard work is shown in her great successes.
She has been an impactful force on the school’s track team, breaking the 4x100m relay, 4x200m relay, and 4x400m relay; her name scratched into the milestones that will be there for others to see for years to come. Her great achievements will be goals that the future runners of FHC can look up to.
“Being the OK White Girls Conference champions in 2023 and 2024 and placing in states sophomore and freshman year for our 4x200m relay, are some pretty big accomplishments of mine,” Emma said.
Her performance in the OK White Girls Conference championships in both 2023 and 2024 shows a drive to constantly increase her own performance as well as the strength of her team. These victories show the hard work, dedication, and resilience Emma has daily.
To the naked eye, track might seem like an individual sport, but teammates make it slightly more enjoyable. Friends can encourage you and help you push past your limits, which you might not have thought you could.
“My favorite part about track is my teammates, because although it is a mostly individual sport, your teammates are what makes practices enjoyable and who you can push yourself and train with,” Emma said.
Her achievements are a reflection of all that she has poured into her craft, and her commitment to excellence is a steady current in the core of her journey. Her efforts are not just shown in medals or school records, but as the embodiment of an athlete who knows that true progress is found in the journey and growth along the way, not the destination.
Despite her progress, Emma knows that running will always demand consistency and inner strength, even when she might not feel like it. It might be a constant balancing act between keeping up with school and training for the sport she loves, but she knows that the discipline required today will pay off tomorrow.
“Track has also taught me the amount of work or practice you put into something is going to be shown in your own results,” Emma said.
