Senior Tide, Sofia Simmonds (12), is finishing up her second and last season of high school cross country. She originally joined the team to do conditioning for track and field but ended up falling in love with the sport. Although she really enjoys the athletic aspect, it is the friendships that she has made along the way that are most important for Simmonds. The cross-country team is known for being a group of kind and inclusive people, in addition to being exceptionally dedicated. “I think that cross-country is a mix of finding amazing friendships and doing something that is physically painful but at the same time incredibly rewarding,” Simmonds says. She explains that cross country is the hardest sport that she has done, but that the coaches have led her to amazing improvement through hard work, perseverance, and a lot of encouragement. “They’ll push me when I need to be pushed, and they’ll hold me back when I need to not injure myself or break myself,” Simmonds explains.

This year’s season has been Simmonds’ favorite so far, and she has met one of her main goals of breaking 22 minutes at a 5k race. Although her favorite meet was the PLU Invitational, where she broke 21 minutes, one of the highlights of the season has been the Twilight Run at Peninsula, because she got to hang out with her friends and dance before the race. Finding ways to calm nerves before racing is important, and having a particular routine can help with that. When preparing for a meet, Simmonds has a very specific breakfast consisting of oatmeal, an egg, and a banana. “And then I always listen to Try Everything by Shakira before I race, because it really gets me pumped up, and then I feel like I can run faster, which is kind of silly, but at the same time it gets me in the right headspace,” Simmonds added while smiling. During the race itself, the main priority is to get to the next step and stay focused. “I think that the biggest thing in a meet is that you are constantly fighting the voice inside of your head that is telling you to stop,” Simmonds elaborates. When asked about her favorite way of celebrating after a well-performed race, Simmonds answered “Annie’s mac ‘n cheese” with a giggle.

The season is still going strong for Simmonds, who continues training and preparing to represent Gig Harbor in future meets. The end of her last cross country season is bittersweet, but running has become such a big part of Simmonds’ life that she wants to continue doing it as a hobby after graduating. She says that she feels very blessed to have been able to be a part of the cross country team and encourages anyone who has even a slight interest in the sport to go for it.