Track Update: Claudia Rodriguez
9/15/2016 10:08:00 AM | Track, Competing With Purpose Blog
Claudia Rodriguez, a junior sprinter on the Pepperdine women's track team, had a once-in-a-lifetime experience over the summer as she made a 500-plus mile walk across Spain. She wrote this essay about why she did it and what she got out of it:
This summer, I embarked on what would be the greatest journey of my life thus far. I travelled with 10 other Pepperdine students and two adults to Spain to walk the Camino de Santiago, a 517-mile religious pilgrimage across Spain.
I was incredibly anxious for this trip for many reasons, the first and biggest reason being that I did not feel prepared to walk 500 miles. I am a sprinter;nothing in my athletic career thus far has prepared me to physically exert myself over any sort of long distance. So what provoked me to believe I could traverse Spain on foot and walk approximately 15 miles a day? I still don't really know the answer to that; I think I was just driven by the opportunity to be abroad for once in my life. Whatever the impetus, I am so thankful for it.
Some more anxiety came from the fact that I was about to travel abroad with 12 unfamiliar faces. Being an athlete, I have always tended to hang out with those involved in athletics. Nobody else on my trip was an athlete and I didn't know if I would fit in, or if anyone in the group would want to be my friend. Fortunately,I was wrong. The 10 students accompanying me on the trip are 10 of the greatest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and spending time with. I have always regarded my track team as my family at Pepperdine, but now I can say I have two families at school.
Upon arriving in Spain, we spent a week getting accustomed to the time and scenery change by staying in Madrid. What a way to be introduced to life abroad. Madrid is an incredible city with so much to offer. I found myself running through the city and discovering tons of beautiful parks. Each restaurant I ate at had incredible food - I didn't have a single bad meal while in Spain. The architecture and rich history of Madrid was just outstanding and truly gave life to the city. And the nightlife in Madrid was incredible, as well. I would highly encourage students (and adults) to spend time in Madrid.
After a wonderful week in Madrid, it was time to start walking. We took a bus to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, France, where we would hike the Pyrenees Mountains and cross into Spain the next day. Over the next five weeks, I would have some of the best food I've ever had, meet some of the most interesting people I've ever known, be challenged like I never have been before, grow closer to and create an incredibly special bond with my group and discover way more about myself than I knew existed.
I guess I have two big takeaways from the trip. First, walking across a nation is incredibly hard. No amount of Division I athletics training can prepare you for what you're about to put your body through. Honestly, it truly hurts. But in this case, I had two options: I could stop and not get anywhere, or I could continue the walk and get physically and mentally stronger.
I apply this situation to athletics as well and how I want to go about achieving my goals as a student-athlete. Whenever practice gets hard, or I want to give up and quit, I must think of the repercussions: if I stop now, I'm not going to get anywhere; nothing will get accomplished and I won't get any better. I have to remind myself of the end goal. In Spain, it was reaching Santiago de Compostela. For athletics and track, it's getting faster, getting stronger, and being a better teammate.
The second thing I took away, and maybe the most important, would be that I can do anything. Literally anything. I walked across a nation! But I didn't need walking across Spain to teach me that. I thought I did, but I have known for along time that if I want something badly enough, it can be achieved. As long asI continue to work hard and take the appropriate steps toward my goals, they will be accomplished.
This summer was by far the best of my life. I went to Spain not knowing what I would come out with. I was essentially purposeless, aside from the goal of completing the Camino. But I ended up with 10 of the best friends I could've ever asked for, a better perspective on how I want to live my life, and a strength I always knew existed but never really sought to utilize. The Camino challenged me in ways that I have never been challenged, and I am so thankful for that. It was the experience of a lifetime, and I will never forget it.
Players Mentioned
