about me
My name is Gianna. I am 11 years old and compete in Cross Country. XC is one of my favorite things to do. I have played T-ball, soccer, gymnastics, cheerleading, Taekwondo, horseback riding, and tennis, but I quickly lost interest before the seasons were over. In fourth grade at my elementary school, I joined a club called “Girls On The Run” (GOTR). At first, I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest. I wasn’t very fast and couldn’t run for long periods of time, but I loved running.
I am the youngest of four kids, and I’m the only girl. I have three older brothers who are 21, 18, and 17. Elijah is 21 and wrestled. My other two brothers, Braxtyn and Brysen, both play football and are current Division 1 linebackers. Braxtyn plays at UAB, and Brysen plays at Marshall University. They are always training, eating, and recovering. Having older brothers has lots of benefits. When I get to train with my bigger, athletic brothers, it encourages me to run longer, faster, and win awards. They drive me to be better.
After the GOTR season ended, my parents found a new XC club that was starting called Coweta Comets. I practiced twice a week and met amazing coaches and friends. Our practices were at a recreation park with four miles of trails and the LINC, which is 26 miles of running and biking trails. After lots of practice, we got to travel to XC meets to compete against other teams and earn medals if we placed.
I qualified to run at the 2024 USATF Junior Olympic Cross Country Regional meet in November in South Carolina. I remember crossing the finish line and realizing I qualified for nationals. I never felt so happy in my life. That motivated me to train hard so I could run at the 2024 USATF National Junior Olympic Cross Country Championships in Indiana. Since then, I’ve worked even harder and I’m proud to say I qualified again for the 2025 USATF Junior Olympic Nationals.
Over the last two years, I have run over 50 5K races. I also completed the 10K Peachtree Road Race, which was a huge accomplishment for me and helped me feel even more confident about longer distances. I love running because it makes me feel like I can accomplish anything. I enjoy challenging myself on trails and terrain I’ve never run before. It’s like getting to discover new places and see new things.
My next goal is to keep improving my 5K personal records, keep getting faster, and continue building endurance for longer races. I also want to improve my running form and get rid of wasteful movements so I can be more efficient. I get nervous sometimes, but I’ve learned that nervous can also mean I’m about to do something important.