Senior Chloe Browne, recent D1 track and cross country commit to Lehigh University, has been running since before she can remember.
For years, running has been her life, and it has culminated in a childhood dream of hers: being accepted to run for a Division One school.
Browne started running when she moved to Wallingford from Connecticut.
“I started running when I was six years old; my parents wanted me to make friends, so I joined the CYO [Catholic Youth Organization] cross country team,” she said.
Joining CYO sparked a lifelong interest in running. Browne notes that from a young age, she realized she was “pretty good” at running and decided to continue with the sport, though more competitively.
“I’ve always had fun running; it started off as a social thing, but then I worked at it and realized I was good,” she said.
Years after joining CYO, Browne got to experience the highlight of her career, and her favorite memory: winning districts with the Haven girls’ cross country team.
“It was the first time in school history we had ever won districts as a team, and it was really fun to do it as a team,” Browne said. “It’s fun to win on your own, but to win as a team is really fun.”
For Browne, running is more than a sport, or something to be the best at. It’s an outlet for her during times of stress.
“It’s my time where I can turn off my brain and just go have fun, and I don’t get nervous. I just go and run,” she said.
As she comes to the end of her running career at Strath Haven, Browne reminisces on what she is going to miss most.
“I’m gonna miss the people… I love my teammates, and we have become really close. I love all of them, and I am definitely going to miss my coaches: Coren is an icon, and I love Coach Ronnie,” she said.
Evidently, teamwork and being part of something bigger than yourself is important to Browne, something she is looking forward to when she leaves for Lehigh next fall. Smiling, she expressesd her extreme joy towards going off to college.
“It’s been my dream since I was really young to run Division 1, but it’s not even about that; I’m just really excited to go to a great academic school and run at a high level,” Browne said. “I chose Lehigh because I won’t be the best runner, so there will be people similar to me. I’m not looking to be the star somewhere, I’m just looking to become a better runner.”
However, Browne has learned a lot from her time at Strath Haven.
“[The most important thing I learned] is definitely mental toughness, and to believe in yourself and never give up. It’s really easy to doubt yourself, but you just have to believe in yourself, because running is a mental sport,” she said.
The lessons she learned in running have made their way into other parts of her life, like her work ethic, belief in academics, friendships, and more–helping her grow as an athlete. She has advice for the next generation of runners.
“My advice would be to work hard and enjoy every run. It’s a privilege to be able to run, so enjoy every workout, because it goes by really fast,” she said.
