Keeping Pace: Rachael Reddy
9/1/2016 10:53:00 AM | Track & Field, Cross Country
Throughout her high school years, Alabama's Rachael Reddy was 100 percent committed to playing soccer. That focus started to change midway through her senior year however.
"My mom was a runner in college and she always told me if soccer didn't work out, I had a good avenue to take in collegiate running should I want to pursue that," Reddy said.
For Reddy, track was a way to stay in shape for soccer but as the recruiting process played out, Reddy began getting more and more interest from track programs.
Reddy did not start her collegiate career at UA. In the fall of 2014, instead she enrolled at the University of Texas before transferring to the Capstone last fall after redshirting during her year in Austin.
"Texas was always my dream school," Reddy said. "When I got out there, it was so far away from home. On the women's distance team, I was the only one from out of state. It was pretty tough."
She believes that transferring was the right thing for her since she can be within an hour of her family. Reddy did not think that she would enjoy seeing so many faces from her hometown, but she finds comfort in seeing familiar faces around campus.
Reddy made her debut at the Brooks Memphis Twilight Classic a year ago and found herself on familiar ground during that meet.
"The race was on a soccer field that I had played on multiple times growing up," Reddy said. "Being able to win that race was pretty cool because it made me feel like I belonged [at The University of Alabama]."
Reddy clocked a time of 17:06.26 over the 5k course to notch her first collegiate meet win in her debut race. She would go on to be named to the SEC All-Freshman Team in 2015 for cross country.
"It was really cool to win," Reddy said. "It wasn't something that I was expecting."
The sophomore food and nutrition major from Mountain Brook, Ala. always had a strong desire for running. She played multiple sports growing up. Overall, Reddy loves competing.
"I don't think that there is anything better than going out there and giving it your all," Reddy said. Having a team there that supports you every step of the way is so encouraging."
Since many of her teammates are not from the state of Alabama, Reddy enjoys being on a diverse team.
"I enjoy being on a team with people from all over the country," Reddy said. "It's also cool to know that when I put on that uniform, not only am I representing The University of Alabama, but I'm also representing where I came from. I get to showcase where I grew up and all of the people that helped me along the way."
Even though she is wearing the Alabama uniform, Reddy likes to add a personal touch of her own. On her wrist in sharpie, Reddy writes, "Isaiah 40:31." It's a simple reminder that she sees each day. As Reddy talks about how thankful she is for all of the people who have made an impact in her life on and off the field, she smiles.
"I don't just run for myself. I run for the people who have inspired me."
Players Mentioned
