“We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves,” Sir Roger Bannister wrote in his autobiography, The Four-Minute Mile, back in 1955.  The British hero’s words, written shortly after he shattered the barrier of the previously untouchable four minute mile, are echoed across the generations by a young Americanized compatriot, Emmeline Gattie.  “I just love to run,” she says.  “I don’t know why I started running.  But now I love it.  It’s my life!” 

Born and raised across the Atlantic in Chesterfield, Emmeline moved to the States six years ago when her father took a job in central Ohio.  The Hilliard Darby junior recalls the transition as a rough one.  “When I first found out about the move I was extremely upset,” she remembers.  “I didn't want to move, and I thought that I was going to hate it here.  The actual move was tough because I was leaving behind my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and all my friends.”  For an elementary school aged Emmeline, the trauma from the move was short lived.  “Once I got here, though, I made many new friends, and I love it here,” she can now admit.

Although she remains a British citizen, Emmeline has been living in the States ever since, much to Darby cross country coach Don Seymour’s fortune.  Not only is Emmeline one of the Darby team captains, she has proven herself to be the foundation upon which the 2005 Darby girl’s team has been built. 

Emmeline turns the bend at the Darby Dash on October 4. More Darby Dash race pictures are here.

Emmeline is all smiles after the race.

Never content to sit back and wait for the current cross country season to start, Emmeline organized and led nine practices a week throughout the entire summer.  “I didn’t get to take a vacation!” she understates. Leadership and dedication of that magnitude sparked the girls into action and the Darby girls have been enjoying one of their best seasons to date.  “She was there every day,” All-Ohio teammate Erika Alpeter says of Emmeline’s dedication over the summer.  “She’s by far the greatest captain,” another teammate, Kelsey Seymour, boasts of Darby’s team leader.  “She pushes us even if she doesn’t get a good reaction,” Kelsey continues, and it’s obvious that the tough love captain has earned the respect of her teammates.  With statewide league and conference meets just days away, Darby is about to get a chance to show what all of Emmeline’s summer practices were for when the team lines up for the start of OCC’s.

The fire within Emmeline is evident in her driven approach to leading the team.  “I train hard because I have had so many disappointments when our team loses by 2 points or I don't get the time I want by 3 seconds,” she explains.  “During practice, I think of those times and it makes me work harder.  I also picture our team going to States, and I imagine how good that will feel.”  Like virtually every cross country team though, Emmeline and the Darby girls know how to keep fun in the mix, no matter how hard they’re working.  At their late summer team camp in Tennessee, the girls managed to fit “rafting, tubing, go-carts, shopping, and a trip to Gatlinburg” around a whopping 70 mile week on the hills.  If you’re thinking that a season of that would wipe anyone out, you don’t know Emmeline.  She follows cross country up with the winter swim season before heading into outdoor track.  It’s a way of life in her athletic family and her steady improvements vouch for the effectiveness of all the hard work.

Roger Bannister closed his classic running autobiography with words that mirror Emmeline Gattie’s intent belief in herself and her teammates.  “No one can say, ‘You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.’  The human spirit is indomitable,” the great miler wrote.  With big goals on the horizon, a work ethic to chase them down, and a sense of fun and excitement, Emmeline will continue to lead the Hilliard Darby girls cross team with that same boundless attitude.

The CRC would like to wish the best of luck to everyone competing in league and conference meets this weekend!  If you’re looking for a bit of inspiration before the big race, check out ESPN2’s newest movie, Four Minutes, about the great British miler and record breaker, Roger Bannister. 

SIDEBAR 

An avid scrapbooker, Emmeline has had plenty of memorable moments worth documenting over her years of running.  Having dropped her XC 5k PR from the upper 20’s to an oh so-close-to-the-teens 20:01 earlier this season, she also nabbed a surprise track-like PR when she clocked a 12:15 3200m at the Darby Dash cross country meet.  A midseason home meet of two miles, the Darby Dash is a throwback to the days of shorter XC meets.  The improvements have brought attention to Emmeline and her teammates as the team establishes itself as a regional threat to qualify for the state championships. 

Emmeline has seen many others make an impact in her life.  From her mom, who “truly is an amazing person,” to her dad, who “is determined and dedicated,” to her coaches “because they have done so much for me in my life and have taught me so much about running,” Emmeline is thankful for those who have taken the time to be there for her.  Now she wants to do the same for others.  This past summer, Emmeline worked the Darby-hosted middle school cross country camp where she had the chance to help guide young runners and introduce her sport and lifestyle to them.  “It was a good learning experience,” she says of the camp.  “I had a lot of fun.”  Anticipating a lifetime of running and maybe even coaching, Emmeline is off to a good start.   

Motivational to the core, Emmeline offers these words of advice to beginning runners like the ones that she worked with at camp: “Don't ever give up!  When you think you're done, you can always go further or do more.  Also, make it fun!  No one runs because they hate it!  It has to be fun and you have to love it!  Today is tomorrow’s yesterday!!!”