Cross country can be a very overwhelming sport, but for Natalya Ferri, it’s a piece of cake. Fall 2011 is Natalya’s first year of cross country. She has also participated in other sports in the past such as track and softball. She is a sophomore and for a first year cross country runner, she is starting off very well.
In track and field, Natalya would run short distances only. Her longest distance in track was 400 meters. This would require her to sprint for a short distance and would also make her push herself for a short period of time. This is why she was intimidated by the thought of joining the cross country team. She was not sure she would be able to run long distances such as 3.1 miles (5k).
During parent teacher conferences last spring, Natalya’s mom and Coach Smith had a very long and engaging discussion. It was about Natalya joining cross country for the fall 2011 season. They were determined to get her to join the team. After a while of Natalya’s mom nagging her about joining the cross country team, Natalya put aside her doubts and gave in. She had officially decided to join the cross country team.
Natalya’s first meet went very well. She ran 2 miles and placed 4th among the Eaton Rapids girl runners. She kept working to get better times at practices and while running at home. Her practices consist of stretching and then running on the treadmill while listening to music or running down the road and back. Natalya says, “I make sure I’m all stretched out and then I run. What else would I do?” After long practices on the trails with the team and the practices at home alone, it started to pay off.
Coach Smith thinks that Natalya has a lot of determination. This could be an understatement. Natalya tries her best at everything. There is not one second when she is not trying her best. This doesn’t just apply for cross country, she tries her best at school and all the other sports she participates in as well. Due to her hard work, Natalya has become the number one runner for the Eaton Rapids girls cross country team.
During practices, Natalya kept giving her all. The girls would do practice runs and Natalya started to get the fastest times. So far Natalya’s best time is 20 minutes and 27 seconds.
Practices for the cross country team are not just a ton of running. Natalya says, “I like that we spend time together as a team and it’s not just all about running.” The team has gone out and got ice cream together and they just spend time together and talk. The team even sits around and does homework together before meets.
As a sophomore in high school, Natalya’s running skills are great. Her practices are paying off and she knows it. For a first year runner and a sophomore, Natalya Ferri has shown that it’s not size or age that matters, it is determination.
