“While I’m running, I imagine myself listening to a song and dancing. That’s why I’m always smiling during our XC meets, even on the Killer Hill. Running can be stressful, but I choose to make it enjoyable like dancing!

When you approach the finish line at the end of the XC race, everybody is there waiting for you and cheering. I love that feeling and it makes me want to continue XC for the rest of my high school life. I also love that XC allows you to go at your own speed. In some team sports, because every player has to cooperate, there’s a pressure to keep your skill level up. XC isn’t like that: you only have to keep up with your own level. When I started running at the beginning of this year, it was only because I wanted to join a co-curricular sport. Now, XC is one of my favorite sports!

Aside from loving XC, the other reason I smile while I run is because I’m generally a happy person! I think I got my happy personality from my grandma. She’s so optimistic and never says anything negative — so it’s in my DNA to be happy and to laugh a lot.

I think everybody should look on the bright side. When you get a super bad grade, you can learn from that mistake to grow. Every struggle is a learning experience and there’s a positive side to everything!” — Cocoro