From the Sidelines to A10 Champion as a Freshman Track Athlete

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I’ve always loved running hard, even the grueling workouts that left me on the ground with my teammates throwing up around me. I’ve never had a problem with doing things that are physically painful if I know it’s going to help me get faster. But when I was in high school, I would often get so stressed out about racing that I would be nauseous or on the verge of tears for hours before my races.

What Injury Taught Me

During my first indoor season as a track athlete at UMass Amherst, I was sidelined due to a shin injury and put in a boot for six weeks. All I could think about was wanting to compete. I went to watch my teammates run at indoor meets, and I promised myself that when I finally came back, I wouldn’t take it for granted. That meant not beating myself up for running times that weren’t my best. That meant not treating meets like a death sentence. That meant actually enjoying this thing I had been working so hard to come back to.

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Track and field is just a sport. But, it’s also the thing that keeps me up at night and makes me wake up at six a.m. to train. I care so much about it that I moved across the country to run for UMass. So, of course I want to perform well. But that doesn’t mean that meets have to be painful.

I competed collegiately for the first time in April 2025, 10 months after my last race. My times weren’t the fastest I’d ever run, but they also weren’t the slowest. 

More than anything, I was proud of myself. I knew that the opportunity was a gift, and to have a body healthy enough to compete is a blessing in and of itself.

Redefining Success

I used to think if I took a goal seriously, I wasn’t allowed to have fun until I achieved it. I thought I had to get nervous to perform well. The truth is, nerves are normal. Adrenaline is ideal. But dread? Panic? Did I really come to UMass just to feel like throwing up for hours until I raced?

No. You can’t wait to achieve your goals to enjoy what you’re doing. And I’m not saying to be complacent with where you are, or not strive to be better. But in the process of working hard and giving it your all, it’s okay to enjoy it. It’s supposed to be fun.

In fact, the less you focus on “needing” to accomplish something, the easier it will come. 

I wanted to run really fast this season coming back from injury. But I didn’t need to. And that’s why going into our Pre-Conference Meet, I was ready to go.

Trusting the Moment

I knew that my times from the first few meets wouldn’t qualify me for a spot on the Atlantic 10 Championship roster. My training had been spotty at best, missing out on critical strength building phases in the pre-season due to my injury. But instead of letting myself fall into a hole of doubt and fear, I let myself be in the moment. I lined up for the 400 feeling nervous, but also grounded and grateful for the opportunity. And when I crossed the line, I saw a 56.90 flash on the scoreboard. Two seconds faster than what I’d run this year, enough to earn me a roster spot at A10’s.

On the final day of the A10 Championships, I was slated to run the 4x400m relay, the final running event. By the time we got on the track, our women’s team was only one point behind the leading team. To be one of the last scoring events is an incredible amount of pressure, especially when it could decide the winner of the meet. I felt the nerves kick up, but I remembered how far I had come to get to this moment. I didn’t have a great start to my leg of the race, but when I heard my coach scream “LEILA, THIS IS FOR THE TEAM TITLE,” a switch flipped in me.

This wasn’t just about me. This was about my teammates. 

I hit another gear, passing two girls coming into the home stretch, passing off the baton in second place. We ended up earning a silver medal in the 4x400, breaking the school record en route to claiming the team title.

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The Power of a Team

Being in a place where the people around me care about track as much as I do has been life-changing. My teammates don't skip workouts because they don’t feel like going. They work relentlessly on the track and in the weight room. They dream big and cheer loudly for each other. They recognize the pressure that it takes to be on a team, but understand that the team is greater than their own struggles. The reason we won A10’s was our ability to be stronger together. 

Lessons Bigger Than Medals

I’ve realized that my sport isn’t all about winning or being the best. It’s about enjoying the process, coming together and working with your teammates to do something you couldn't do by yourself. If I had let my pre-race anxiety take control, I wouldn't have been able to contribute to my team. If I waited to enjoy competing until I ran faster times, I wouldn’t have even made it there.

And if I had waited to be an Atlantic 10 Champion to be proud of myself, I definitely wouldn’t have become the person I did along the way–someone who believes in something bigger than herself and bigger than her fear: the love of the sport.

Stronger Together

Team sports at UMass are an opportunity to forge connections with people, similar to the ones you can find in Commonwealth Honors College. In track and field, if you’re not working closely with your teammates, you’re not going to go far as an individual. In the Honors College, working together is key because discussion is central to the success of your learning. By training with people who push you to the next level, you become a better athlete. By being a supportive teammate, you create a stronger team. 

Iron sharpens iron. 

In coming back from my injury, I learned to be grateful more for the opportunity to compete for my team than to win. Although winning this championship feels like a fairytale ending, I’m taking this mindset of joy on to the next season, and all the highs and lows that may come.