Charlotte Duhamel '25 Recruiting Profile

Why would you not want to play sports in college? To me, it's a no-brainer; the thought of not continuing didn't cross my mind. Why? Because I love to run.

For as long as I can, even as I grow old, I want to be able to run and race, challenging my body and feeling the thrill of the chase. Some people only plan on competing for a few years and then stop, but I will continue to be committed to the team. I see the long-term goal, of being the fastest runner I can be, and even when things get hard, I won't stop. If I want to stick with running throughout my life, quitting isn't an option.

However, not only do I have a personal goal of being the best runner I can be, but I also see the value in each and every one of my teammates, which is why I was named captain for this year. All of last year, I was badly injured with a stress fracture, which is why I have very limited times from cross country and track. Nevertheless, I continued to show up at all of the team's practices and meets, cheering on, taking splits, and cross-training. I badly wanted to join everyone else racing that year, but I knew the best thing I could do at that moment was heal and support my teammates.

Flash forward to this year, I had a great summer of training and am coming into the season strong and healthy, starting off the first meet by PRing on our home course by 15 s/mi! As happy as I was with my performance, it made me equally excited to see the way the newer runners pushed themselves, cheered each other on, and proudly represented our school's colors. Just because I'm not injured anymore doesn't mean I have any less commitment to my teammates. On the contrary, as captain, I feel a greater sense of responsibility to make ABXC the best team it can be this year and to build a firm foundation for the years to come.