09. Anna Rohrer on Trust in the Process

04/22/20 • 49 min

After winning a Footlocker national title her sophomore year of high school in 2012, injury and surgery to both feet would side-line Anna Rohrer. However, she made an epic return to win the New Balance Nationals 5k on the track and then redeem herself as a Footlocker champion in 2014.

Now, as she concludes five years of running for the University of Notre Dame where she earned an undergrad degree in neuroscience and is about to complete her master’s in business; Anna reflects on how this opportunity allowed her to become a better version of herself as one of the most accomplished and resilient runners nationally. In this episode, Anna speaks on transitioning to college, gaining perspective while battling injury, faith, gutsy racing tactics, favorite memories, and some visions for a future in which tenacity will see her through to her full potential.

As a collegiate runner some of Anna’s accomplishments include...

First from Notre Dame to be a four-time All-American in Cross Country
Five time All-American in indoor and outdoor track
Breaking Olympian Molly Huddle’s school record when she placed first against a field of pros to run 31:58 in her 10k debut at the Stanford Invitational
Placing 6th in the 10k at the NCAA Outdoor Track Championships in which ALL top 6 women ran under the 30+ yr old meet record (the race Alice Wright took out as discussed in this episode)
More from her roster: https://und.com/roster/anna-rohrer/

As a collegiate runner some of Anna’s accomplishments include...

First from Notre Dame to be a four-time All-American in Cross Country
Five time All-American in indoor and outdoor track
Breaking Olympian Molly Huddle’s school record when she placed first against a field of pros to run 31:58 in her 10k debut at the Stanford Invitational
Placing 6th in the 10k at the NCAA Outdoor Track Championships in which ALL top 6 women ran under the 30+ yr old meet record (the race Alice Wright took out as discussed in this episode)
More from her roster: https://und.com/roster/anna-rohrer/

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undefined - 08. Taylor Knibb and Kyleigh Spearing on Embracing Adaptation for Balance as World-Class Triathletes, NCAA Runners, and Students at Cornell

08. Taylor Knibb and Kyleigh Spearing on Embracing Adaptation for Balance as World-Class Triathletes, NCAA Runners, and Students at Cornell

How do they do it? This is a question that Taylor Knibb and Kyleigh Spearing, two of the top triathletes in the world get asked a lot, but one they often ask themselves as well. Even more admirable than the on-paper accolades, is the gratitude, humility, and wisdom in which the Cornell University seniors impart as they reflect on challenges faced, experiences had, and lessons learned. For Taylor and Kyleigh, success has been a matter of establishing strong support systems, incorporating fun, and rolling with the punches. In addition to triathlon, the dynamic duo were key leaders in taking their cross country team to the 2019 NCAA D1 National Championships after what was an extremely uncertain start to their season. In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, their enlightened perspectives and open attitudes are guiding them through the abrupt end of their collegiate careers in the presence of an unpredictable future.

Background for the Non-Triathlete:

USA Triathlon (USAT) has a developmental program for Youth Elite ages 13-15 (super-sprint distance: 375m swim, 10km bike, 2.5km run) and Junior Elite ages 16-19 (sprint distance: 750m, 20km, 5km race). The program consists of a summer series including the Richmond Youth/Junior Elite Cup race in Virginia and the Flatland Youth/Junior Elite Cup race in Iowa. The series culminates with a national championship where the top 3 Juniors are selected to represent Team USA at the International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Triathlon Grand Final for the Under 20 (U20) Junior division. As a bridge from U20 competition to Elite, Olympic level competition, there is the U23 category. The standard Olympic Distance triathlon is a 1500m swim, 40km bike, and 10km run.
For more information: https://www.teamusa.org/usa-triathlon/elite

Next Episode

10. Sammy Seymour on Following your Curiosities: D3 walk-on, team environment

Recruited to play softball at NCAA D3 Bethany College in West Virginia, Sammy Seymour was not finding the team camaraderie she expected. Now approaching graduation, hear how Sammy put herself out there and ended up on the Bethany cross country and track teams. This conversation touches on finding and creating a supportive team environment, managing backwards thinking and differences in point of view, and the many experiences of learning and growing in a new sport on a small team at a small school.