October Athlete of the Month: Lauren DeGroot
All photos submitted by Lauren DeGroot.
Congrats to our October Female Athlete of the month, Lauren DeGroot! DeGroot is a senior captain for our cross country team, helping lead them to a second place finish in conference. DeGroot describes the team’s mentality this season as “want[ing] the goal to be focused on team not on individual. We have worked hard together all season and focused on the little things we can do to make ourselves stronger. We put in hard work together and we also have a lot of fun!”
Teammate and classmate, Kyana Delgado, describes DeGroot as someone who “brings so much positivity to the team as one of our captains this year. She’s kindhearted, passionate, and strong; she always pushes us to keep running and to always do the little things that make us better.”
Friend and fellow runner, Grace Elberson, praises DeGroot, saying, “[She] has always been a source of confident leadership and unwavering positivity for the cross country team. She creates such a welcoming atmosphere while still challenging each of us to push ourselves to our limits. As a captain, Lauren has such a unique style of leading in the way that she balances having fun in the sport with reaching our goals, both on the individual and team scale. We are so lucky to have her on the team and I truly believe that we owe a huge portion of our success this season to her efforts."
To learn more about this amazing Athlete of the Month, read our interview with her below!
How long have you been running cross country for and why do you run?
Lauren and her mom after one of her first races.
I have been running since I was 5 years old and have been a runner on the cross country team since freshman year. From the moment I laced up my first pair of Sauconys, I knew that running would be a big part of my life. I started running because of my mom. She had started running with me when I was still in a stroller, and once I could walk, she started taking me on runs with her. During those first years of running, she was my why. As I grew older, I joined different running programs. One in particular was Girls on the Run, or GOTR. This program’s mission statement is “to inspire girls to be joyful, healthy, and confident using an experience-based curriculum integrating running,” and it ended up giving me a new why: to be a part of a team. I loved running with other people and coming to practice each day, sharing a common goal with the girls there. After GOTR came the Merton running club, which I did for 1-2 years before moving on to middle school cross country, and after that came high school. My why became even more prominent throughout those years.
Who is your athlete role model and why?
Lauren and her sister after taking 3rd and 1st place at the conference meet.
My athlete role model is Parker Valby. She is a distance runner who, like me, uses cross-training. I struggled with bone injuries in my first years of high school and was later told that cross training could be a way to take that load off. I then found out it was more common than I had thought and that pro runners, such as Parker, use cross training to get in mileage and stay fit.
What is your main goal this season?
My main goal this season is to have no regrets and to be where my feet are. My best races are when I am having fun during them. I like to dance, throw up peace signs, and talk during races to bring myself back in the moment rather than stressing about the future. I am hoping that our team will make it to State this year, but my overall goal has already been achieved. We were consistent, we showed up, we worked hard, and most importantly, we supported each other. This season is honestly all I could have hoped for. I get to run alongside my best friends and my day one, Kara, who is my younger sister. She has pushed me to be the best version of myself and achieve things I never would have thought possible without her.
What are your future plans involving cross country?
Wherever I go for college, I am hoping to run, but I hope to be a lifelong runner as well. Running has become such a big part of my life, and I want to keep it in my life.
Do you participate in any other sports or activities?
Outside of cross country, I participate in several other activities. I run for the Hamilton Track and Field team. Some of my club roles I am involved in include President of French Club, a staff writer for Charger Press, and an actress and crew member in Hamilton Drama. Outside of school, I love to volunteer. On Sundays, I teach church classes as a catechist assistant, and in the summers I intern at First Stage Theater Academy.
Besides cross country, what are your other hobbies?
I love to write! Whether it’s songs, poetry, or articles, writing has always been one of my favorite hobbies. I also love hanging out with my friends and sister and going out to eat. I also love to paint and make homemade cards when I am not busy.
Do you have any pre-game rituals or superstitions?
Before my most important meets, I like to write on my mirror. Usually I write goals on the mirror, but I also write mantras and funny sayings I have picked up over my season. My favorite from last year is “I can hurt more than them”. This quote came from a race where I was spiked from behind in the first 100-200 meters, which completely took my shoe off. I was shocked for a second but had to continue on with my race. I ran three miles up hills, stepping on rocks and sticks shoeless. I was able to finish with a medal. It was a funny situation for sure and my teammates and I continued to joke about it throughout the season, but it also brought a mantra that I could use whenever life felt tough. If I could run a race without one of the few necessities (a shoe), of course I could run in the rain, cold, heat, and any other challenges that may come my way.
Before every race, I also pray. It’s a quick 2-3 minute thing, but it is a very effective way to calm my nerves for the rest of the race. I like to dedicate my races to people as well to give it more meaning.
Something I have started this season is lying down on the starting line and feeling the grass. It keeps me present but also is scientifically shown that grounding can help reduce stress and calm your nervous system. So if you ever are watching a race and see me reaching down just past my shoes, you now know the reason.
Do you have any teammates, coaches, parents, or other people in your life that have helped as an athlete?
I could never have made it this far without the countless people who have helped me along the way. First my family: my sister Kara who has supported me through so much, my dad who has believed in me when I didn’t even believe in myself, and my mom who has always been there for me no matter what. I owe an incredible amount of my success to them and could not have been more blessed.
Beckett Lauer, Grace Elberson, and Lauren DeGroot post conference!
My teammates over the years have had such a positive impact on my life. From when Carly Elkin, Manita Mahapatra, Mahika Mahapatra, and Leah Gonwa took me under their wings freshman year, meeting some of my best friends Beckett Lauer and Grace Elberson sophomore year, to sharing my senior season with Lilia Rademaker, Kyana Delgado, and Raelyn Puering. These are just a few of my teammates who have changed my life for good and I want to thank them for that.
While I don’t think I talked about it enough, I had so much help behind the scenes. Sophomore year I was diagnosed with REDs (Relative energy deficiency in sport) due to bone injuries, iron deficiency, and other symptoms. This made it really difficult to progress with my sport. But even though working through this was challenging, I had a great support system. I have been working with a sports nutritionist, a sports psychologist (the GOAT Dr. Matt), and a physical therapist who have helped me get back on track with the physical and mental side of my sport. It was not easy, but the support they gave me made it possible and for that I am ever grateful.
I am also thankful for my coaches and all the guidance they have given me. Coach DeGroot ( my mom), Coach AJ, and Coach Groth have taught me so much about being an athlete and also a person and I am glad to call them my coaches.
