By Zoe Heneveld
Running is a sport only some people do. Out of all 776 people in the high school, only sixteen people run on the Hamilton Girls Cross Country team. One of those runners is Haley Council.
Haley is a dedicated sophomore runner who is doing Girl’s Cross Country. She has been running for three years, and her passion for the sport keeps growing with each passing day. Her commitment to training and improving her performance is truly inspiring. Whether it’s running long distances or sprinting, Haley gives it her all and never gives up. Her positive attitude and determination make her a valuable member of the team, and her teammates look up to her as a role model.
She loves “the team and the environment. It’s a positive environment. No matter who you are or what you’re like, everyone is willing to accept you.” Haley answered.
When Haley was young, she used to love running around with her dog. She would run for hours, and her dog would chase after her, making the experience even more enjoyable. One day, Haley’s mom noticed her love for running and decided to sign her up for cross country. Haley was a bit hesitant at first, but she decided to give it a try. From the moment she started, Haley fell in love with the sport and never looked back. She quickly discovered that running with a team was a completely different experience than running alone with her dog. She enjoyed the team and the support that came with being part of it.
“I like running,” she said, “running is fun, it’s how I release emotions and just calm myself.”
Haley’s impact goes beyond her running abilities, as she has impacted the lives of others both on and off the trail.
“When Haley runs races, she runs hard, she runs fast.” Annika, a fellow sophomore runner commented. “It motivates the slower JV girls to keep up and to work just as hard to get those results. As a person, she is kind and she is funny which creates a light-hearted team atmosphere.”
Haley’s passion for running is not limited to high school, as she has her sights set on continuing her athletic career beyond graduation. Her goal is to continue running through the end of high school and hopefully into college. She understands that this will require a lot of hard work and dedication, but she is willing to put in the effort to achieve her goals.