Participating in any sort of athletics takes immense courage, dedication, and both physical and mental strength. As Big Hettie told Peekay in The Power of One, “ ‘Pride is holding your head up when everyone else around you has theirs bowed. Courage is what makes you do it’ “ (Courtenay 115). Although all sports require courage and pride, cross country requires an extra dose if the runner wants to succeed. As a cross country runner, I’ve learned many different lessons that can apply directly to real life situations and have gotten the opportunity to experience first hand just how courageous one has to be in order to succeed. What constitutes a success? I can guarantee my definition of the word is different than all 65 of my teammates’ definitions.
