Ada Gebauer, track and cross country
Senior Ada Geubaer committed to Fairfield University for track and cross country, and to study biology and pre-physical therapy.
When did you first start running?
“It has been a lifelong sport for me. I feel like most people who do [Track and Field/Cross Country] are quitting another sport to try running.I did other sports along with running, but I have been running 5Ks since fourth grade. Even if it was a local 5K with my dad or I walked part of it; I started running in fourth grade, I think my dad influenced that.”
What is your favorite thing about cross country and track?
“There are not a lot of sports where you know you will be in pain before you even start. There is no going around it, it hurts. I think the best part of it is that when you finish you feel so accomplished because it hurts so much. I think the second best part is teammates, you meet so many great people through this sport because it isn’t just anyone who is willing to put themselves through that [pain] for three miles.”
Why did you want to run cross country and track at the collegiate level?
“I didn’t make my decision based on running, I kind of just laid out a bunch of schools I liked and wanted to go to. Then I narrowed it down to the schools that are more practical.”
What are you most looking forward to in these next four years of your life?
“I think it is going to be nice to get a break from high school in general. The pattern of it is the same for four years, and now I get to do a different thing for four years. I look forward to the new opportunities and people I am going to meet–especially going into college already having a team of a social group you are already comfortable with. I am excited to just see where it takes me.”
Do you have hopes to run beyond the collegiate level?
“Everyone I know who has graduated from high school and gone onto running has dramatically improved. It seems that a lot of people tend to flourish once they get out of high school. It definitely is on the back of my mind to run the Boston Marathon, but I have to qualify. I may do that in or out of college.”
Did you expect to be pursuing track and cross country in college?
“It definitely was on my mind from a pretty early age, but not something I pressured myself to do. In middle school is when I realized I liked running because I would tag along with my dad. Then I began to race on my own without my dad and I liked that aspect of competition.”
What obstacles, if any, were detrimental to your running career?
“It was definitely harder mentally. My freshman year I had an iron deficiency so I could only run half my season and then I stopped. Sophomore year was great but junior year I started to struggle with anxiety. I stopped racing for a little bit because it was a lot on me. Sophomore year I had so much success so I was scared that I was not going to reach that success again or win. I won leagues sophomore year; there was a lot more pressure, mostly being self-inflicted. I started seeing a sports psychologist to work through it. I am glad I got through that. I started racing again but junior year was definitely a rebuilding year for me. I didn’t race in cross country at all that year–I tried, but then I would just start crying. I worked through it in indoor and outdoor track and racing again. They were slow races but it was good to get myself on the line and get going. Starting was the biggest hurdle for me in cross country because I was so scared I would do bad. I am most proud of this year since it is like a senior comeback season.”
What do you hope to get out of this?
“I am excited to know that I am going to be prepared to pursue what I want to in the future. At the moment it is PT [physical therapy] but that could change. I am an undergrad in biology for four years and then going to PT school so I could do a lot with that and a minor in health science or psychology–I might double minor. Fairfield is a good compromise of affordability and it will prepare me for PT school.”
Do you have anything that you think is important to include about your relationship with running or your commitment?
“It’s definitely a love-hate relationship with the sport because sometimes I enjoy it and other times I think ‘I would rather not be running a 5K right now.’ I just push myself through that part. That is also one of the reasons I like it because I prove to myself that I could get through that.”