Aaliyah Brown '21 Recruiting Profile

Hi, I am Aaliyah Brown. I started running club track for Mt. Airy when I was 5 years old, a very pivotal point in my life. Around the time, I was diagnosed with ADHD and started taking medication. I had also just moved from Tennessee back to Pennsylvania and my mom suggested that I do track. I didn’t want to do track at first. Over time, I ended up loving it, mainly because it gave me purpose and consistency. Track has helped me not only as an athlete but as a scholar and a person. It has shown me discipline and has improved my mind mentally and my focus. It encourages me to challenge myself and try new things. When I started high school, my freshman year was amazing. I made varsity and was a freshman standout on a great team with a lot of amazing standouts and a huge reputation. That all changed last summer when I went to a 5-week stem program, instead of doing summer track, and gained from 30 to 40 pounds because I didn't work out or eat properly. I didn't know how much of an impact it would have on my whole sophomore year until indoor started. I got a nutritionist and started tracking my food and I went on a diet. It was very hard for because not only did I feel like I was moving backward while everyone was moving forward, but also because it was so new to me. I have a very fast metabolism and I always did club track all year long. I was used to being able to do and eat anything I want without consequences. I also started to lose confidence when I started improving during indoor, but I pulled my hamstring. I am so thankful that I had my family, my team, and my friends to help try to overcome the challenge. My teammates are my best friends and my family. Even when I tried to stay strong, they encouraged me to let my emotions out and to not give up. Some athletes quit when it gets tough but I didn't want to take the easy way out. If it wasn't for my mom being by my side all the way, I don't know where I would be. Even though I didn't end my sophomore year the way I wanted to, and I still have some way to go, I learned I can't always depend on others and I have to be an athlete on and off the track. I'm going back to the program and I am planning out ways to keep this lesson like cross country. I hope that junior year is a start to my journey of self-improvement and growth in track and as a person throughout high school, college, and in life.