Kaitlyn Martin Sees No End in Her Running Career

Senior cross country runner and Massachusetts native, Kaitlyn Martin, hit the ground running near the time she entered grade school with the help of her family.

"Well how I got started with running is when I was about six or seven years old my grandparents found these two mile races at DW Field Park. It was through their work so I started getting into it and it just went to middle and high school and now college."

Martin loved running from the get-go and ran like any little kid would-sprint and walk, sprint and walk. She only began to see it to its full potential when she was older. "Of course in the beginning when I was little, I would run really hard, then walk, run really hard, walk. High school is when I started getting really serious about it."

Her strong running foundation began with her family and has continued throughout the years. "My family has always been supportive. They come to meets and if they couldn't be there, my mom is always just waiting for my phone call to see how it went."

Following Martin's fundamental running in Massachusetts, her family moved to Florida during her fifth grade year. This threw her running for a loop in the transition to a new state, neighborhood, and school.

Martin forwent running during sixth grade following the move but something was missing. She was able to find the lost piece thanks to her educators. "I was just getting into middle school and I didn't really know how to find the team. Towards the end of my sixth grade year, one of my PE teachers actually told me about it."

Since Martin's start at the University of Tampa, the cross country team has always been resilient and this year is proving the same. "We've always had a really strong program with the women's team. We have some strong freshmen that are actually way up in the pack, top seven. I think as long as we continue to work together and race like how we train we're going to do great," she says confidently.

Martin attributes the team's success to Coach Jarrett Slaven and to the drive and determination of every member of the team. "We always go out there and perform. Slaven really does a good job in preparing us to race. Like I said, we have some really good young talent this year so that's always nice for the future of the program."

Even though Martin's mom would say she is her own worst critic when it comes to running, they have both found joy in the sport. "I really like doing 5ks. They're fun. My mother has recently gotten into running so I like doing that with her. I would like to do the Gasparilla half marathon. I don't know if I'll be doing it this year, but definitely next year."

Her ambition will keep her going long after her collegiate career comes to a close. As Martin looks into graduate school at the University of South Florida come spring, she is keeping her options open. "My major is psychology and my minor is criminology so I'm probably going to go into counseling or something like that. I haven't really decided yet. There are so many things you can do, so I haven't really pinpointed what I want to do."

Martin's strong mind is a vital part of her success while running at UT that will never cease to aid her in the future. "I believe that when you race, no matter how physically you're prepared, if you're not mentally prepared, if you're going to give up easily, it doesn't matter what shape you're in."-and Martin never gives up.

Written by Mary Lee Gibson