COVID & Cross Country: A Freshman’s Perspective

By: Chloe Shapkauski, BDTV228 Sports Multimedia Intern

Given that there has been a pandemic thriving for quite some time, COVID-19 has granted a whirlwind of new endeavors during Tinley Park High School’s fall activities. With required masks to conversations from six feet away, the 2020 freshmen experience during September and October sports has transitioned the tenacious Titans to form flexible mindsets.

So far, the girls cross country team has maintained a safe environment for practices. For example, daily warm-ups must be completed while wearing a face covering. The protection from another runner’s breathing is not the only precaution taken, teammates are also spaced a respectable measurement apart per health guidelines. As much as it pleases the young ladies to follow the new rules, the lack of normalcy that the novices are feeling can be overwhelming and expected.

Freshmen Cross Country Runner, Junayna Alhariem elaborated on her impression of the situation so far, “It’s honestly not what I expected it to be.”

In detail, the new cross country participant painted a picture of their routine, “We have to wear masks when we warm up, which is quite difficult. It’s difficult to breathe in to be honest because you’re not getting that (fresh) air through the mask, but we can work through it.”

Challenging as the restrictions may be, the positive outlook that Alhariem and her other freshmen teammates possess is admirable. It appears that the group of girls are more in sync with each other than ever before.

“We’re all ready to run, ready to do something other than sit at home,” says Alhariem. “We’re more together and joyful.”

Ironically, the previous isolation of COVID-19 is what sparked an interest in the athlete’s heart and motivated her to join cross country. Seeing that her own curiosity surfaced out of a desire for something new, Alhariem anticipated the girls would be reserved due to everyone’s new quarantine experience. However, she was surprised and says, “The outcome was amazing because you have girls that are very happy, excited to run, and motivated.”

Speaking of motivators, crowds and fans are currently not allowed at competitions. While this might be devastating for some, Alhariem says, “For me personally, the more people watching, depending on the crowd, they can either motivate me or get me to become nervous.”

Again, it would appear the girls cross country team never fails to look at the bright side of their current situation amidst COVID-19.

Overall, Alhariem describes the current activity as “something new,” “exciting,” as well as “a rush.” Despite every curveball that has grazed her team, in the final analysis, various obstacles that help sustain safety are conquerable and the freshmen team is maintaining their optimism.

After all, Alhariem is “super happy that all of the girls are remaining hopeful through the pandemic.”