Today I ran in the York House cross country event, which is usually a 1.85 km race for the Under 11 girls at York House School. Normally, I would feel confident going into a race like this and would have a strong chance of winning. However, this time was very different.
Over Christmas I was extremely ill. I had severe vomiting, couldn’t keep any food down, and had a very high fever. I had only properly recovered two days before this race, so I knew I was nowhere near peak fitness. Realistically, I understood this race had come far too soon for me to perform at my best.
Even so, I didn’t want to let my school down. Representing my school is something I am very proud of, and I wanted to give everything I could, even if I wasn’t at full strength. My expectations were low, but I decided I would simply try my hardest and see what I could achieve.
At the start, I got a relatively good position and settled into around sixth or seventh place. I pushed as hard as I could throughout. My first kilometre felt steady, but during the second kilometre I became extremely tired. I could feel the lingering effects of my illness and fever, and I really struggled. At one point I felt like giving up because I had almost no energy left, but I refused to stop and kept pushing all the way to the finish.
The total distance turned out to be 1.94 km, and I finished in 8 minutes 41 seconds, coming fourth overall.
Finishing fourth in an Under 11 race — which includes both Year 5 and Year 6 — is not a bad result, especially as I am only in Year 5. However, by my own standards, it felt disappointing because this is normally a race I would expect to win. Still, considering I had only just recovered from a serious illness two days before, first place was always going to be a huge ask.
My coach has explained that it may take 4–6 weeks to return to peak fitness, so I know I need to be patient. I have two more races this month, and although I know I won’t be at full fitness yet, I will continue to work hard. I am proud to represent my school, and I will keep persevering. When I am fully fit again, I believe I will be back to winning — and I will look back at this period knowing I showed resilience and determination.
