Personal Narrative Essay: Cross Country

Sports, my entire life has been engraved by sports and I have managed to play quite the majority that our school offers. All the way since football wasn’t even a tackle sport I played in every game, I hit homeruns in baseball, and I even attempted to play basketball despite my performance level being subpar. Never did I ever think that I would enjoy a sport of just simply running, and I looked at the kids running on the track wearing short shorts and thought to myself how goofy they looked wearing them. Well, long story short, I stopped playing football after seventh grade because my coach wouldn’t let me play defense. Subsequently, I ended up joining Cross Country so I could continue playing sports during the fall season. Cross Country at the modified level was a breeze; I was winning a lot of races and placing in the top 25 for all of them. Figuring I was a natural, I continued

Throughout the year, we raise money just for this trip through fundraisers like carwashes, Subway, and even hosting our own meet. The ride from the Southern Tier to New Jersey totals eight hours, but in the end all the driving is worth it. Right next to the invite is a Six Flags amusement park, which is obviously everyone’s main attraction, except me. Since the Wild Safari course is so flat, I am able to run a personal record there every year, however the course does have some obstacles such as half the course being sand. All I can remember is the intense summer rays beating down on my sweat covered face as I practically sprint the entire course. At the end my throat is always dry, begging for water, and I am always completely out of breath. This is the only meet where you can go all out and receive a good time, and it’s a complete confidence booster. After the race, we all cheer each other on, then head over to the rides to celebrate what we have worked plenty hours