Natalie L.

Brandeis University, Waltham Massachusetts 

Sport: Women's Collegiate Track and Field

I started running track in my sophomore year of high school at Plainfield North, where I met Coach John.  The girls program did not have a hurdles coach, and I felt somewhat disadvantaged after my first season; lacking the training I needed to give me a competitive edge. During my junior year, Coach John was nice enough to train me alongside the PNHS Boys Hurdlers, despite our programs being completely separate. Working with him allowed me to succeed not only as an athlete, but also as a person. His training helped me to develop my hurdling technique and my athleticism immensely, giving me all the tools I needed to excel on the track. I graduated from PNHS as an SPC All-Conference Athlete, IHSA All-State, and I had the privilege of being apart of a record breaking relay team. Coach John played a fundamental role in my athletic journey, and he taught me many important things that I now carry with me on and off the track.

I will always be grateful for the positive, competitive and disciplined practice environment that he created- allowing athletes to have fun and work hard simultaneously. Today I am a member of the Women's Track and Field Team at Brandeis University . I an studying Politics and Creative Writing on a Pre-Law track. I could not have done this without Coach John's Guidence.