Congratulations to all of our young members that ran cross country for their school! 

A few weeks ago, Crystal Tressler, our Treasurer and mom to David Tressler, FSRC High School Member who runs for Oakdale, attended the end-of-season banquet for Oakdale High School boys’ and girls’ teams. Crystal was touched by what the high school runners had to say about their achievements as well as their struggles, which rings true for all us, runners. Read below Crystal’s brief summary and the runners’ bios that follow.

Each senior gave a brief speech about what cross country has meant to them and it was exactly what you would have heard from any adult member of the Steeplechasers. Running simply brings them so much joy from the combination of love of the sport, friendships forged into family, and the feeling that you can accomplish so much more than you ever thought possible by pushing yourself to be comfortable with the uncomfortable. 

It was so heartwarming to hear what an impact running has had on their lives and how they’ve come to love it, even after it has taken them to their edge or broken them. Many confessed that running is hard or that “running sucks.” They have had moments of defeat through injuries, stiff competition, or grueling workouts intended to weed out the weak. However, that didn’t make them give up. They came back for more and proved their persistence and resilience. 

I hope that each of them does keep coming back to the road or track after this season in their lives has ended to find that literal and spiritual grounding that running will continue to provide.