Since Melissa Schultz arrived at the Gatton Academy in August, she has wasted no time getting to know the students and their interests. As the Assistant Coordinator for Residence Life, the core of her job involves engaging students in the Academy’s residential environment.

Schultz , an avid runner, has been tackling half-marathons for years. When she decided to run in the St. Jude Half in December, she opened the invitation to Academy students to see if there was a mutual interest. Her hope was for students to take away a greater sense of self and community.

The response, it turns out, was tremendous.

“Activities like this are important to the Academy because they enrich the student experience through living and learning,” Schultz explained. “It’s about taking on a challenge, finding motivation, working toward a goal, following through and then realizing, while much of the prep work is done on an individual level, there is a greater success when an entire community of people come together for a common interest and goal.”

Over the course of 13 weeks, a dedicated group of ten students committed to early morning runs to build the necessary skill and endurance to complete the 13.1 half-marathon this past weekend in Memphis.

For many students attending the Gatton Academy, having to sacrifice the ability to compete in sports is the hardest part of the decision. Over time, that desire for sport remains active. An opportunity like this to be physically active was a welcomed prospect.

“I missed running cross country these past two years,” noted Elaine Flynn (Grant ’10). “When Melissa sent the email out about the half marathon inviting us to join her, I figured it would fill the empty spot where cross country used to be. “

The team of students, officially dubbed the Academy Road Runners, trained with 6 a.m. runs throughout the weeks leading up the race—rain, cold, or shine. Many students appreciated having others to keep them motivated as an important component of the training process. For Katherine Goebel (Shelby ’11), her father provided a tremendous amount of support as well.

“It was a really good goal to have to motivate me through the long, cold runs,” Goebel said. “I liked the fact that we trained and ran it as a team. And, running is in my blood. My Dad runs a marathon almost every year, so he’s a really good role model for me and supported me in kicking off my road-running career through this race.”

Even though the 13 mile stretch was longer than many of the students had ever attempted, the group finished strong.

“The hardest part about the race was definitely finding the strength to continue running toward the end of the race,” added Hunter Smith (Hardin ’10), “The stretch between miles 11 and 12 was brutal.”

Though the race is behind them, many of the participants are already looking for new opportunities to hit the road again. For Emily Hall (Jessamine ’10), New Year’s seems as good a time as any.

“I can’t wait to run another race,” Hall beamed. “I actually found out that there will be a half-marathon in Bowling Green in the spring. I plan to run a few 5K’s over the next few months, maybe even the 10 mile Hangover Classic in Louisville on January 1st. As soon as I’m not so sore I plan to be out running again.”

Schulz detailed that the personal rewards were small compared to knowing the race was for a good cause.

“The experience of crossing the finish line after 13.1 intense miles of physical and mental exertion offers an incredible euphoria,” Schulz added, “but the mere satisfaction of crossing the finish line is only a small part of what training and finishing a road race has to offer. In this case, thousands of people created an indescribable synergy to benefit the children and work at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.”

Students also hoped an activity like this would demonstrate the Academy is more than just a learning environment.

“While academics are the most important aspect of the Academy, it is experiences like this that keep us well balanced, and balance is the key to success in life,” noted Ballard Metcalfe (Henry ’10).

According to Rebecca Morgan (Hardin ’10), the race was a opportunity to show off a different dynamic of Academy student life.

“These activities make people overcome the viewpoint that the Academy is solely academically oriented,” Morgan explained. “We aren’t just nerds who have pocket protectors and Rubiks cubes, as some may assume. We are so much more. Through activities like this we can show the world our coat of many colors rather than the stripe of green representing our academic life.”

For more information, contact Corey Alderdice or Melissa Schultz at 270-745-6565.