Friendly Competition

Amen - this is the last word that I hear before the start of every race. It is a tradition started by one of my high school teammates, Allison, and one that I continue to carry out today.

Luckily for me, this is not the only trait that I picked up from her. Allison Roeth has competed six times at the state level in high school, and is now a Division I athlete, running varsity cross-country and track at Ohio University. She has been running competitively for eight years now and is still going strong.

Allison started out running in junior high, following the footsteps of her older brother. She claims, “I was such a copycat little sister, I just did whatever he did.” She never imagined that this decision would have such an impact on her life. However, since then, it has become all about running for her.

A successful high-school career is one thing, but it takes a lot of discipline to compete at the college level. The training is demanding including, on average 80-mile weeks. This quickly drains the body, both physically and mentally, especially on a student-athlete.

Despite her biggest challenge of becoming mentally tired of running, Allison still loves to do it. It is not only a hobby that she shares with her teammates, who have become her best friends, but an essential part of her day. It allows her to escape the stresses of life and goof off for a bit.

Although, she has worked hard and persevered through her difficulties to achieve such success, she gives all her credit to God. Allison claims, “not everyone is able to run competitively, so the position and opportunities I have is all God.”

Her favorite days to run are the ones that capture the beauty of God’s creation the most. Allison claims, “I love going on runs on beautiful days and seeing God's creation; it's hard not to think about what He's made on those kind of runs.”

We may not be on the same team anymore, but Allison still continues to inspire me today with her faith-driven attitude and accomplishments. I am thankful to still be able to compete together, even if we are wearing different jerseys.

Me, Allison, and Nikki (another girl from our high school team) at the Ohio University Invitational