Initially, senior Naomi Lazarus never thought she would be running in cross country in high school. However, after giving it a shot one year, she quickly came to love the sport and the people who did it with her.
“After running a school mile in eighth grade, my PE coach recommended cross country to me,” Lazarus said. “At first I wasn’t gonna do it, but then I ended up trying it out and I love it.”
Lazarus deeply appreciates the support system and opportunities for growth that cross country has given her.
“I love all the girls on the team; they’re like my second family. All the girls genuinely are rooting for each other’s success,” Lazarus said. “I also loved just proving myself wrong, like running mileage that I never expected myself to be able to do.”
At times, cross country did become stressful, with a big time commitment of practicing two hours a day, six days a week. Especially in her junior year, Lazarus struggled to balance her academics and running, leading to discouraging times in her races. However, shifting her mindset as a senior has allowed her to enjoy the sport to its fullest again.
“This year I’ve realized that even if I’m not running the times I was running as an underclassman, I am still having a lot of fun,” Lazarus said.
Before a race, one of her favorite traditions is the team’s pre-race ritual, where they go to a hidden location along one of Oak Park’s trails, discuss the next day’s race and do an encouraging chant to shake out the nerves. Another big part of her routine is draining, where you put your legs straight up against a wall, allowing the lactic acid to flood out and new blood to come in, helping with circulation and reducing soreness.
Besides running, Lazarus has many other things that she’s devoted to. Over the summer, she attended a writing program at the Cal Arts campus in Valencia, fostering her love for creative writing. Lazarus is also on the Oak Park High School Mock Trial team.
“I’m planning to major in political science and go into law. I’m definitely very passionate about criminal justice,” Lazarus said.
With the little free time she has, one of Lazarus’s favorite activities is working out at the gym on her machine of choice: the stairmaster. She also cherishes the times that she gets to be with her family.
“I think definitely spending time with my family brings me joy because next year I’ll be off to college and I’ll be spending less time with them,” Lazarus said. “Whenever we have family dinners or we go on vacation, that definitely brings me joy in life.”
On the cross country team, Lazarus is known for her big smile and bear hugs, always there to brighten someone’s day.
“I feel like I’m very outgoing; everyone who knows me knows that I’m outgoing and will start a conversation with anyone,” Lazarus said.
As often as she can, Lazarus tries to follow the cross country team motto in all aspects of her life: every day matters.
“When things get hard and when things get challenging, I have to remind myself not to give up because this is where people usually stop, and persevere through that to get to the other side.”
This article is part of a larger collection of stories covering the girls cross country seniors. Check out the other seniors in the sports section on our website.
