Athlete of the week Brooklynn Mansell (‘28) began her running career in middle school after her soccer coach suggested she try cross country. Brooklynn took the recommendation and has since fallen in love with the sport.
Q: What is your favorite aspect of running?
A: I like it because I get to zone out. It’s very calming for me, like meditation.
Q: What is your greatest challenge with running?
A: The mental part, because during cross country, you have to be mentally aware. It’s pretty mental, you have to tell yourself “you can do this.”
Q: How do you manage sports and academics?
A: My parents check up on me and make sure I am doing all my homework. Every Friday, [my parents and I] check my grades and make sure they’re [acceptable]. If we have any problems, they help me with getting them [back] up.
Q: What’s your favorite memory of running?
A: My favorite memory is [when the team was] at summer training. We came back and ran to the creek. We all started talking and having a good time, just chatting by the creek and taking pictures.
Q: What keeps you motivated to keep playing?
A: My future because I know that cross country would be a really good way to get a scholarship. I want to go to a school that has a really good medical program, and those typically are more expensive.
Q: Have you ever been injured from running?
A: No, but I did have to take a break during the summer because my knee was starting to hurt. The muscles and tendons ended up getting inflamed. It happened to fall on my [summer] trip, so I got to relax.
Q: Do you hope to keep playing for college in the future or be recruited?
A: Yes, I would love to keep running for college because even though cross country might not be that popular, I see it as a great achievement.
Q: What’s your greatest victory or key moment when running?
A: I would say [my greatest victory would be] running a [5 minutes and 32 seconds] mile.
Q: What is your favorite post-meal meal or snack?
A: A lot of the time after a meet we go to In-N-Out. [I] usually get fries, a vanilla shake, and a plain cheeseburger.
Although Mansell has only recently begun running, her speed and determination will help her achieve her ambitious goals.
