PART TWO: The Blonde Bullet

Things started to get a little crazy. By eighth grade, both running and my acting were dominating my time outside of school. My days consisted of running at lunches in preparation for the next school meet, jumping in the car after school and completing homework on the way to rehearsal, sometimes even while I was at rehearsal. It was exhausting, stressful, and time consuming, but I did pick up some new skills such as time management.

            I graduated elementary school with top marks, voted best actress by my classmates, and a letter from Steve Weiler inviting me to some trial workouts for London Runner Distance Club. The August of 2007 before grade nine, I went to my first track workout with the group. I want to say that I loved the hard work and rose to the challenge. Truth was, I was finishing last every lap and felt sick to my stomach. I left the workout feeling blue, but also determined that if I stuck with it I would improve. I signed up and became a member the following month.

            The next several months were filled with crazy rehearsal schedules, fatiguing workouts as well as the ups and downs of freshman year. I continued to audition and rehearse for community theatre shows, and was growing as an actor with each experience.

I also noticed an improvement in my running over the winter months. Suddenly I was able to run more repeats of the same loop or hill. Suddenly I was able to run faster without paying the price with nausea afterwards. Suddenly I wasn’t at the back of the pack.

            I joined my high school’s track and field team and was by heads and tails the smallest member. I think my coaches saw potential, but I admit I wasn’t as dedicated or determined at school practices then I was at club workouts. I was again, a mid-pack racer in cross country, so not even I expected much from my first track and field race. I was signed up for the 3000m race, and I was more nervous than ever. I’ve never had stage fright before, but I couldn’t quite shake the pre-race butterflies. Plus, they were combining the grade nine and ten girls. I decided to try a new strategy. I had always been told that I was like the Energy Bunny that you see in battery commercials- I can hold a strong pace for a large amount of time. So why not begin at a really fast pace? My coaches confessed after that race how shocked they were when I bolted ahead of the other girls at the sound of the gun. They thought I was crazy, and wondered if I could hold it. Strangely enough, I did. I wasn’t first overall, a grade ten girl had caught up at some point in the race, but I did bring home a midget girls gold medal.

            After that race, my team and coaches began to take a real interest in my running. “You going to make it to OFSAA?” They’d ask. I didn’t know what to say. OFSAA, high school provincials, was something no runners from my high school had qualified for in a long time. To be honest, I really didn’t think I could make it. But I had noticed that during the chillier months some fellow LRDC members sported OFSAA sweaters, and I hoped to have one too at some point in my high school career. But grade nine?

            I continued to win 3000m races that season, including TVRAA and WOSSAA. The butterflies seemed to be less and less with each passing race. I even gained a nickname from other high schools as they too noticed my quick starts. I was deemed “The Blonde Bullet”, and it seemed to spread. My twin brother, who attends a different high school, had even heard of it floating around his school.

            I raced the 1500m as well that season, but was knocked out after WOSSAA, the second qualifying round. I did however; qualify for OFSAA West Regionals for the 3000m race. The butterflies returned. This was the last qualifying race before provincials- OFSAA. I had to place top three, and I had already noticed in other race results that I’d be racing against some tough competition. I began the race with the same strategy, although this time a couple other girls ran me down. I knew I’ve never had a sprint or kick of any sort at the end of races, so I was nervous heading into my last lap that a third girl would knock me out of third- the last remaining spot to qualify for OFSAA. I could no longer tell what was blood pounding in my ears, or what may be the heavy footsteps of a runner behind me...