Up until my junior year, every weekday of mine was spent at practice. I rushed 40 minutes to my gym in Huntley, where I’d spend the next four hours practicing gymnastics.

At the end of my sophomore year, I quit gymnastics. That meant no more after-school practices, no more weekend competitions, no more sport-induced anxiety. But most of all, it meant no more teammates. Of course, I would stay in contact and remain close friends with the people I had grown up within the gym, but that’s not the same as spending 25 hours a week with them; sharing our latest gossip and bonding over our shared grievances about our coaches or conditioning. If you know me, you know gymnastics took up my spare time and part of my identity; it was all I did.

For over a year, I had no sport. Instead, I took a break from the physical arena and explored politics. In that time, I found that working out alone, while enjoyable, is really no comparison to doing so with friends. I’d been missing the aspect of being on a team and having practices to look forward to after school. All that I had been missing was found again when I joined track this winter.

While I don’t profess to be a very good track athlete, I’ve had a lot of fun while on the team. I’ve met and become friends with so many new people, some of whom have been in my classes all year. I’ve created many great relationships that make me look forward to practice every day.

Aside from the great community of girls that I’ve become a part of, I’ve found a great way to fill my time. Instead of going straight home after school and scrolling on my phone or watching Netflix, I get to simultaneously socialize and workout. I get to talk to my friends, laugh (a lot) and release some endorphins while doing so.