From Unathletic Bookworm to Confident Athlete

By Kate K.

Richmond, Virginia

Because of Mr. Deane at St. Gertrude High School in Richmond, Virginia, I went from being an unathletic bookworm who wished she wasn’t quite so nerdy to a confident member of the Cross Country and Track Teams. I have continued to run my entire life. I am 54 years old and I still jog three times a week without fail, and it’s all due to Mr. Deane. Mr. Deane was our biology teacher, and in the spring of my freshman year he decided to start a track team. I had attempted my first sport in the fall (in a quest to become less nerdy and more athletic) but field hockey wasn’t my thing. Track was great for me. I could be good at it because I was willing to work. Then the next fall Mr. Deane coached our first cross country team, which I was even better suited for. Mr. Deane was encouraging and kind and fun. He took us to away meets in his old Volvo, never living down the fact that one of his side mirrors fell off one day as he drove us. He tolerated us blasting Talking Heads in his car. The team provided a place where I felt valued and where I belonged, and that meant everything to my teenage self. I know that jogging has kept me mentally and physically healthy during my life, and it all started with Mr. Dean. I cannot thank him enough.