2008 Woodie Awards
Chegwidden's drive to succeed pays dividends
Clif Duquette '08
Issue date: 10/10/07 Section: Sports
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When Aimee Chegwidden, '11, was in fifth grade, her older brother Paul told her to try running track. Paul had been a runner in high school, and because Aimee enjoyed trying new sports and was much like her brother in athletics and personality, he thought she might enjoy running and do well.
But even Paul could not have thought she would be doing this well.
Back on Sept. 15, Chegwidden-in her first scored collegiate cross-country meet-flew into the spotlight when she finished first for the Hawks and ninth overall in the Ram Invitational at New York City's Van Cortlandt Park.
Chegwidden also did not expect the impressive result.
"I just didn't want to let the team down," said Chegwidden, who also finished second on the team with a 31st-place performance two weekends ago in the Penn State Spiked Shoe Invitational. "So I just ran as hard as I could. But I didn't think I'd do this well."
Chegwidden was not even thinking about running at all up until the fifth grade, when she had been focusing her energy on soccer in the fall and spring, and basketball in the winter. After giving track a chance, though, she gradually became more dedicated, thanks to an outside influence other than her brother.
"My dad always pushed my brother and me to do our best in sports, and he always felt like athletics were important," said Chegwidden, who graduated from Walkill Valley Regional High School in Hamburg, N.J. "Because he had done a lot of sports himself, he always wanted us to stay healthy and fit."
That is not to say, however, that running came easily to her.
"Of course running was difficult at first, but I was always dedicated to my athletics, thanks to my dad. So I didn't think about how tired I was and I just pushed myself to do better in workouts and in races."
Her dedication switched to cross-country in the seventh grade, replacing soccer as her fall sport. She continued to play basketball in the winter until ninth grade, but after a week of indoor track, she became hooked on that brand of running as well.
But even Paul could not have thought she would be doing this well.
Back on Sept. 15, Chegwidden-in her first scored collegiate cross-country meet-flew into the spotlight when she finished first for the Hawks and ninth overall in the Ram Invitational at New York City's Van Cortlandt Park.
Chegwidden also did not expect the impressive result.
"I just didn't want to let the team down," said Chegwidden, who also finished second on the team with a 31st-place performance two weekends ago in the Penn State Spiked Shoe Invitational. "So I just ran as hard as I could. But I didn't think I'd do this well."
Chegwidden was not even thinking about running at all up until the fifth grade, when she had been focusing her energy on soccer in the fall and spring, and basketball in the winter. After giving track a chance, though, she gradually became more dedicated, thanks to an outside influence other than her brother.
"My dad always pushed my brother and me to do our best in sports, and he always felt like athletics were important," said Chegwidden, who graduated from Walkill Valley Regional High School in Hamburg, N.J. "Because he had done a lot of sports himself, he always wanted us to stay healthy and fit."
That is not to say, however, that running came easily to her.
"Of course running was difficult at first, but I was always dedicated to my athletics, thanks to my dad. So I didn't think about how tired I was and I just pushed myself to do better in workouts and in races."
Her dedication switched to cross-country in the seventh grade, replacing soccer as her fall sport. She continued to play basketball in the winter until ninth grade, but after a week of indoor track, she became hooked on that brand of running as well.
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