Lauren Brooks '21 Recruiting Profile

My name is Lauren Brooks, a 2021 graduate from Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Something I hope to gain from my collegiate athletic experience is the ability to excel on and off the track. 

Running has completely changed my life in the best way possible. One of the best feelings in the world to me is the sense of accomplishment after a workout, long run, and race. Finishing a run makes me feel accomplished, dedicated, and motivated for tomorrow to complete my next run. I often get questions as to why I run, why I push myself to places in the sport where many people cannot. Running requires such a level of self-discipline and motivation unlike any other sport. Not many people can bring themselves to run intervals close to the point of throwing up, or running miles on miles each and everyday. I run because I believe that it teaches me something deeper than just a sport, but discipline that can help me all throughout my lifetime. Another aspect as to why I run is because of the amazing team that I am on and the coaches that help us each step of the way. My favourite part of the day is when I get together with the entire team and we motivate one another through the practice and laugh with them the entire time. Many people assume that cross country is an individual sport, while little do they know that team is everything. 

I have been an exceptional role model and team captain of the SWC cross country team as I try my hardest in every practice, never miss any runs, am a leader to the team, and an outgoing, supportive teammate who ensures the team over everything.

I want to run in university because I cannot imagine my life without running. High school cross country and track and field has been a huge part of my life for so long, but I believe that when I graduate I will be ready for that next step which is university level running. Running in university would be amazing, as I would get to challenge myself each and everyday, and I never want to lose that feeling that each runner gets after they finish a race.