Sophomore spreads positive energy on track

Campbell talks beginnings of her running career, advice to aspiring runners

Written By Ben Reinke, For The Globe

Photo by Gracey Evans
Sophomore cross country standout Alyssa Campbell runs in a race last season when she was just a freshman. Campbell finished last year as one of the Top 20 freshmen runners in the NAIA.

Though she is best known for her ability to run, sophomore track and field athlete Alyssa Campbell’s abilities off the course are just as impressive.

Balancing cross country with schoolwork as well as a variety of groups and clubs seems difficult enough, but according to her coach and teammates,  Campbell manages to do it all with a positive attitude. 

Campbell began running in middle school when she joined her school’s track team. Participating in short-distance running at the time, Campbell would not discover her love for cross country until the ninth grade.

Urged by her father, who also happened to be the cross country coach, Campbell decided to join the team once she reached high school. As soon as she began long-distance running, her true talents were revealed.

Now at Point Park, Campbell is known to be an extremely positive presence on the cross-country team.

“She’s just genuinely a positive person to have on our team,” new cross country coach Jim Spisak said.

This sentiment is shared by other members of the team as well.

“I remember [Campbell] as being an open book,” teammate Brody Mihalyo said. “Her personality is so awesome… I consider her one of my best friends on campus.”

Other than cross country, Campbell is also involved in a variety of groups on campus. Campbell has spent her summer as a Pioneer Ambassador, works with the Campus Activities Board (CAB) and is part of the executive board of the UNO club, to name a few.

Despite how hectic Campbell’s schedule may seem, she always manages to persevere.

“It’s really important to me to stay healthy,” Campbell said. “I’m someone that really values my health, because I’m a firm believer in ‘if you don’t have your health, then what do you have?’ I just really live off of that. I also just like the look of being fit, that’s the physique that I’m striving for. I have a certain look that I want to obtain by the end of this season, so that’s what keeps me going.”

To those who are interested in running, Campbell offers some words of advice.

“If you’re running just on your own, trying to get in shape, I definitely would say just find ways to stay motivated,” Campbell said. “Obviously, at first, you’re going to have cramps, and it’s going to be hard, but, just go to the store, pick out some cute clothes that make you feel good, and then just keep going and push through it because it’s gonna be hard. Once you get into the swing of things, you’ll definitely feel a lot better and you’ll feel better about yourself. Just set goals for yourself. Once you hit them, there’s no better feeling in the world.” 

Continuing to push through difficult times appears to be a continuing theme with Campbell, and it comes as no surprise that her unbreakable spirit has caused her to be one of the strongest athletes Point Park has to offer.