Scholarship Winner 2005 : Lauren Phillips

Pictured between Ellen from FF and her coach - Bill McMullen. She has a 94 GPA, attends and running for SUNY Cortland, worked a part time job, plus excelled at running.

Here is Laurens Essay on

Why Lauren Runs?

It’s about one a.m., and all I can hear are a few whimpers from some of my fellow teammates. I look back down the bus aisle and I see Steph Conway (senior) holding on to the girls Class B Section V trophy, with tears of joy coming down her face. As I look around I see my fellow teammates, either sleeping because of the long exhausting physical and mental day, or with pure satisfaction and triumph on their faces. I look at my coaches and they are not much different, they are proud of their team and for the moment are reflecting on what just happened. Five long months of triumph, defeat, good and bad times, had finally paid off!

I have often been faced with the question of, “Why I run”? Most people do not see running as an enjoyable, fun experience but only as an exhausting past time. My indoor track team won it’s first Sectional Championship when I was in 9th grade. It was at this precise moment that I surely realized the reason why I run. I run because of the exceptional feeling of hard work paying off. There is no replacement for crossing the finish line first, knowing that your hardwork and dedication got you there. Running provides me with a work ethic and strong will that could not be provided any other way. Running supplies a constant, relentless challenge, day in and day out. Some people may find this frustrating, but the core reason for why I run, lies within the constant challenge. Running pushes me to my limits everyday, remaining merciless while proving to me that I can go that little bit faster, or that little bit longer. I run for the reason of staying healthy, staying in shape, but most importantly for the gift of a irreplaceable work ethic and challenge.