Molly Huddle: an Inspiring Athlete
Molly Huddle, the winner of the CVS 5K four times in a row, a competitor in the 2012 Olympics, and also an idol of mine. Molly Huddle is the two-time USA Outdoor 5,000 meter champion, has the Notre-Dame record of nine All-American honors, and holds the American record in the 5,000 meter with a time of 14:44. Molly went to Elmira Notre Dame High School in Elmira, New York. There she played soccer, basketball, and ran outdoor track her Junior year. She did not run cross country until her senior year because her school did not have a cross country team. She wanted to run cross country to improve her track times, so her father coached her one person team. Molly Huddle was undefeated in her regular season and went on to placing fourth at the Foot Locker National Cross Country Championships. She was also a very successful track runner, she won the Nike Indoor classic, Adidas Outdoor Championships. In the outdoor two mile, Molly Huddle made a national high school record with a time of 10:01, and she holds the New York outdoor 3,000 meter record with a time of 9:21. Molly Huddle went to college at the University of Norte Dame and there she went on to tying the Notre Dame record of nine All-American honors.
Molly is an amazing athlete, and person. I got the honor of escorting Molly Huddle to the podium after her fourth victory in the CVS 5K. After she finished the race, Molly was in no a rush to the podium, she waited to congratulate the women that came in after her. Molly Huddle was really nice and relaxed, she even joked to Jordan Hassey about another fast woman they ran against saying, "Is she even American?!" Molly Huddle showed me that Olympian athletes can be as easy to talk to as your very best friend.
Molly Huddle even let me ask her a few questions on the way to the podium. Molly told me that she started running in fifth or sixth grade, but she started taking running more seriously in high school. Her most memorable race was, "My American record in the 5,000 meters. It was a surprise for me. It was in my favorite city, Brussels, Belgium." Molly Huddle also says that her upcoming goal is, "I would like to run the 10K at world's, and make the Olympic team, and maybe even run a marathon." Molly Huddle's coach is Ray Traecy, coach of the Providence Friars cross country and track and field. I would like to go to Providence college one day, and hopefully become as good as a runner as Molly is.