Mia Vientos '24 Recruiting Profile

Running has been something I have loved ever since I was little. Some of my earliest memories from elementary school have been me racing with my peers at recess. Gym class was my favorite because I would just run, and run, whether we were playing tag, or soccer, or kickball, or my favorite; capture the flag. Challenging myself in sports has always brought me a rush of energy and joy, and it has provided me with a safe space for me to get out any negative energy or stress that I am feeling in my life. For the longest time I used to do figure skating. I appreciate the challenges that skating has presented me because they have made me a stronger and more disciplined athlete. I skated for 3-4 hours 6 days a week with an Olympic coach for around 4 years of my skating career. I used to come to school late after my morning practices and leave early (working with my teachers to catch up on any missed class time) to reach my afternoon sessions. But I never really loved the sport itself. I think most of the reason why I stayed was because I loved how strong it made me. Hours of off ice training made me strong and I always felt athletic. There also happened to be (quite ironically) a track right next to the ice rink that I always skated on. We used to do workouts on the track, and my coach would always make sure to include some running into our off ice training. The running was my absolute favorite part of off ice training. We would have some days where we would work on sprinting and others where we would run for mileage and I would always treasure the short time we spent running. Looking back it's honestly funny, because while all the other figure skaters dreaded the running part of off ice, it was the only part I actually looked forward to. 

Quitting skating and joining the track team in the spring was one of the best decisions I ever made. I have never loved skating even a fraction as much as I love running. Running makes me feel strong and powerful, yet it also calms my mind. Whenever I am feeling stressed in any daily activities I know that if I go for a light jog I can clear my head. If I feel frustrated or angry, a run can help me calm down and gain a new perspective. Most importantly, running has helped me challenge myself physically as I have leveled up in terms of my athletic ability. I really enjoy setting and pursuing my goals in running and any team that can help support me in this will be a fantastic place for me. I love having teammates to cheer for and support; having a team has made a big impact in my running. Going from a sport where you really didn't have a team to support you, to one that cheers for me even when I'm not doing my best has been a shock and took some getting used to, but I can now say that I understand the deep connections that teammates form and their role in helping to support each other. 

I also enjoy challenging myself intellectually, and I would love to be a part of a program that has a nice balance between running and academics. Although I don't have a specific major in mind yet, I enjoy history (I have taken APUSH and AP Gov) and literature (I have taken AP Lang), as well as art and graphic design.