An athlete’s junior year is one of the most important years of high school. Getting injured as an athlete is a fear that many athletes don’t want to face. Senior Shalamar Ramsey is hoping to make her last year with the Judson Varsity Track a year that she will remember. 

Shalamar Ramsey has gone through many obstacles in her high school track career that have felt like major setbacks. Although Ramsey has missed two track seasons back to back she still has found a way to keep the love she has for the sport. Ramsey, unfortunately, pulled her hamstring her sophomore year. Pulling her hamstring caused her to miss her sophomore year of track, which was very unfortunate. Going into her Junior year of track, Ramsey wasn’t fully recovered from her injury, which interfered with her competing in her Junior year. 

“Knowing that I didn’t get the chance to stand out during my sophomore and junior year, It most definitely felt like a major setback pertaining to the fact that I care for and love this sport. As I reflect on those two years I feel like it has made me feel like no matter what I have to keep going. As many athletes say, not being able to do something you love leaves an empty feeling in your heart.”

Ramsey has had a very long time to recover during both her sophomore and junior off-season. When injured, many athletes start having those negative thoughts that they will never run or play the same. However, Ramsey believes that although she has missed her sophomore year and parts of her junior year that she will come back harder. During the off-season, Ramsey would always find herself working hard during physical therapy. She found lots of motivation and encouragement from not only her teammates but her family 

“Coming into senior year I feel great and way more confident in myself that I’m ready to run on the track again. During the off-season, I would always push myself to the max and never let myself slack off. Saying it’s my senior year I feel like there was no way I can come back stronger but with the help of a few teammates and family I got my mind straight and started working two times harder doing everything I can to come back stronger and on a healthy leg.”

Throughout the two years of track many lessons were learned. Shalamar has learned that the love for a sport is not something that many athletes can keep or put the effort into having. Having love for a sport is not something that already comes with sport. Shalamar learned that when racing against others it’s not always about beating them, it’s about beating the time.

“A lesson I have learned from track is that you have to have the heart for the sport; without a heart for this sport you are quick to fall out of love with it. Being a track runner you are constantly put under the test every practice. Another lesson I’ve learned is that you aren’t racing the people next to you, you’re racing the clock. You have to have the single-player mindset when running any event, even relays, whether you’re running straight or passing off a baton it’s all about the time on the clock.”

Come out and support your Judson Rockets as they have their first meet of the season at Lehnhoff Stadium in Schertz on February 16 at 3pm.