The pro running world is intense and unforgiving, and I love that. I want an arena in which top performances are hard to come by and the result on the day is never guaranteed. An arena where hard work and determination don’t guarantee success, but success isn’t possible without them. I love the world of professional running, but, in 2021, I realized that it wasn’t healthy for me. I became too obsessive and perfectionistic with trying to control every aspect of my training and performance, to the point where I was damaging my overall health in the pursuit of personal bests and race wins. So, in 2021, after a series of injuries, I knew that I needed a change.
I went to an eating disorder treatment center while simultaneously training for the Olympic Trials and pursuing my professional running goals. However, I soon realized that to fully recover and give myself a chance at longevity in the sport, I would need to step away from the pro running world that I loved so much. Taking a step bak terrified me, because I didn’t know when, if ever, I would be prepared and have the opportunity to re-enter. The last year has been a roller coaster of self discovery, growth, and identity crises as I tried to recover, restore my health, and also find a healthy way to be a pro.
In November of 2023, I received a direct message from a sports wear company called Nnormal, who was interested in sponsoring me. It soon became clear that this opportunity was what I had been searching for all year. It meant working with and running for a company that saw me as more than a runner, shared my values, and provided the resources to chase my athletic and non-athletic goals. I could not be more excited to be representing Nnormal, and I discuss all the details of how this partnership came to be in the video below.
