Emma Rathburn '21 Recruiting Profile

My name is Emma Rathburn and I am looking for a school where I can grow and improve for the next four years of my life after my high school career. Growing up I played  almost every sport you could think of from soccer, to gymnastics, to lacrosse. I always excelled in the sports I played, but they never brought me the same joy other kids experienced while playing their games. Living with anxiety and depression, I just thought no sport had the power to bring me happiness like it did other kids because I was different. 

Eventually I tried out for my high school track team the spring of my freshman year and I quickly became addicted. Never had I felt so comfortable on a team and been so in love with a sport. Running came effortlessly to me; placing one foot in front of the other helped me cope with my anxiety and depression more than anything I've ever tried before. Running became therapy. I instantly knew this was my type of sport; one that came down to how hard you've worked when no one was watching, and how gritty you can get while racing. I am one of the most motivated people on my team, and my teammates (now my best friends) always joke about how "crazy" I am because of all the extra strength training, miles, and stretching I put in on top of practice. With my coaches' approval, I added additional long runs each week and sometimes have different variations of workouts. 

During my collegiate career I really want  a strong group of talented girls to run beside so I can continue to improve each and every day. I want to run in college simply to keep improving to the best of my ability. I know I have so much more in my future for running and can't wait to see what I can do at the peak of my career.

I know how far hard work and teamwork can take you, and I want to be a strong asset to my college team. Last spring my relay team and I worked harder than I ever thought I could, and at Outdoor Nationals we stepped up to the challenge. We were seeded 13th in the 4x800 relay and were able to place 6th, earning the All-American title. I never in my life had been so proud of myself than when that crown was placed on my head. That experience lead me into a summer full of hard training, and by the time cross country rolled around, I'd never felt better. Sadly, Indoor Nationals was cancelled, but that didn't stop me; it only fueled my fire. With school being closed due to the current pandemic, I've had extra time on my hands to get to my high school track and work hard. I set out for a steeplechase time trial after working my way back into the spring season and ended up getting a PR by 17 seconds. I love seeing improvement in my running and knowing it came purely out of my hard work. I can't wait to spike up and toe the line with my new teammates at my future school!