A Vision for the Future of Female Running

In November 2019, I chose to share my very personal and emotional journey through the sport of track field. As a young athlete, I was introduced to a world of athletics where toxic cultures were normalized. For many female runners of my generation and for those that came before me, eating disorder culture was normalized, win at all cost programs were celebrated, and athletes were treated as products, not people. There was a time where this understanding that a shadier underbelly of sport existed seeped away at my joy of running.

Despite this awakened understanding, I kept running, keep running, and will never stop running, since change does not happen in silence. It does not happen when we stand still. Instead, change toward a brighter future can only happen when we work together to fix the broken systems that are at work. That’s why I told my story; so that the next generation of young girls that fall in love with running never have to go through what I went through. I don’t want to just keep the door open for the next group of women; I want to kick the door down.

Sometimes while running, I envision the future for the next generation of young female runners. A girl born in 2021 will start middle school in 2032. Between now and then we can and must put systems in place to help nourish her love for sport and competition, while teaching her about healthy sport. As this young girl is introduced to sports, I wish for her to know she is as strong and skilled as her male counterparts. I never want her to hear derogatory remarks because of her gender, but rather to find an equal level of encouragement and support.

During these defining younger years, I also want her to learn the value in working hard and seeing herself improve her performances. I also want her to be taught that hard work alone does not bring about progress—leaning on teammates, taking time to rest, and loving the process are all equally integral parts of improving. I also want her coaches and parents to understand that these early experiences in sport will help shape her, so I hope they encourage her by preaching growth-based learning vs outcome-based. In other words, I hope the next generation is taught to celebrate hard work and small improvements, rather than only glorifying the wins and big moments.

This same young girl will reach high school in 2035. Come that time, she will have learned the groundwork of sports, or that the process is more important than the goal and teamwork helps everyone grow. I dream that her high school career continues to teach these same messages while also helping her learn new ones. During high school, many female runners' bodies start developing and growing into womanhood. In this time, I want her to learn the foundations of healthy nutrition through her support network of coaches, family, and doctors, who encourage her to eat well and build a strong body, rather than feeling like her new growth is something to fear. I also hope her exercise time becomes a space where she can learn to release the stresses of her day-to-day life; rather than finding training and races a source of stress, it’s a safe space to challenge her body and know that there is no such thing as failure. Similar to learning how to accept her growing body, she can learn mental training tips and confidence boosters that reinforce positivity and a growth learning process.

This girl will graduate high school in 2039. No matter her next steps, I hope she knows that running can always be a part of her life. I hope she continues to pursue the sport through club programs, with friends, or on her own time, since the act of running is a beautiful opportunity for her to decompress and clear her mind. If she chooses and has the chance to join a college program, I hope she continues to be surrounded by coaches that value her as a person first, and athlete second. Rather than have a coach driven by the need to achieve records and rack up a certain number of wins, I dream that her school’s program’s priority is keeping training fun, sustainable, and healthy. Instead of ratcheting up training too quickly, I hope the buildup is gradual and individualized, while still fostering a positive team environment, and that all the athletes are given full resources, such as a nutritionist, therapist/psychologist, and coaches that are Safesport trained.

I also wish, at every stage in this young girl’s development, she sees a running world that is more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. Sports are an opportunity for us to learn and grow, and the only way for us to do that is to not only change the systems in place that affect women in sport, but all underrepresented groups, such as people of color, athletes with disabilities, and the LGBTQA+ community. By seeing diverse coaches, physicians, and team staff, she would have more role models to look up too. By seeing in her teammates and team leaders a diverse group of people—in ethnicity, bodies, and beliefs—she can hear more people’s life experiences and grow not just as an athlete but also as a person.

I believe that this vision of the future of running for girls and women can become a reality—let's get there together.