BY: VINAY KHOSLA, 2021 MALE WINNER OF THE AMY SCHUERHOLZ METZ AND CHARM CITY RUN SCHOLARSHIP PRESENTED BY SAUCONY
My relationship with running has been a long journey of ups and downs, stretched over thousands of miles, three coaches, and countless races. When I joined my high school team after running somewhat recreationally in middle school, I was both excited by, and apprehensive of, the tradition of excellence I was joining. I had always been a competitive person but being the best freshman on a team fresh off winning a state championship came with an immense pressure that I continuously struggled to manage for my entire first year at Dulaney.
Coupled with shin splints that persist to this day, the sport had become mentally and physically taxing to an extent that seemed intolerable. In fact, by the end of the year, I was ready to quit running entirely but ultimately decided that I would give the sport one more chance: I worked tirelessly to deconstruct my own expectations, allowing myself to rediscover the love for the sport that had originally propelled me into running in the first place.
Unequivocally this was the best choice I could have made at the time. Little did I know I would go on to run in three state championships, place at multiple county and regional championships, and fall back in love with the sport and competing. Just as I had reoriented my mindset towards racing and conquered the 800 meters—a race I had long hated—the COVID-19 pandemic hit and all facets of life, including running, were disrupted.
I vividly remember breaking down when I realized that I would miss my outdoor track season and possibly even cross country the next year (although it ended up being much longer). Right when I had gotten into a groove and was in the best shape of my life everything changed and I was devastated. After training all spring, the hopelessness of the situation overwhelmed me and I took a long three months break from running, coming back to run two extremely unorthodox seasons in my senior year.
Despite everything, by the time I had graduated I had broken times which had always been personal goals of mine. Reflecting on my path in this sport as I write this brings back both negative and positive memories for me, however I find that the positive very dramatically dominate my recollections. The teammates, coaches, personal trainers, friends—and even my first boyfriend—that I met through running are all people that made my experiences as a competitor in this sport unforgettable and I am forever grateful to all of them.
I am now a Political Science and Intellectual History double major with minors in Mathematics and Art History at the University of Pennsylvania. I am also glad to report that I am on the Penn Club XCTF team and am still working towards a balance between running and everything else in life, although I think this will be a lifelong project.
I am more grateful towards Charm City than any words can express for providing me with the much needed financial assistance to attend a prestigious university where I can further my academic goals beyond running. Moreover, in remembering Amy Schuerholz Metz, I always aim, in both my running and my life, to carry her positive attitude with me wherever I go. After all, running isn’t easy, but nothing in life worth doing is.
