Full Transcript for Trusting the Process: How Emma Kate Became a Record-Breaking Champion

for just a bit over two minutes. You know, you don't have a whole lot of time to think about the pain or what you're doing. definitely a lot more strategy that goes into events like cross country, ⁓ 5k, the 10k, or even like a 3k. You have to think about pacing yourself, where you're going to sit in the park and then... You go into something like a 1500 and you don't, yeah, you don't really have to think a whole lot. Just, you know, run as hard as you can pretty much. I think just of thinking through race strategy is probably the biggest, the biggest difference. ⁓ Yeah. That's amazing. ⁓ You like I've always asked myself, ⁓ how do guys survive a 10k without music? Like for me, it's insane. Like, ⁓ I know if you run on the track, like the, not, do you guys run 10k on the track? Yeah, I don't, but we do. Okay, like I know like the 5k sometimes they do run the like I was on Olympics and like at least there's music playing, you know, for everyone in the stadium. But I'm like, I don't understand how you guys do it on your own just like that. Like it might get long. And as I always say, like there's a very mental part that people don't realize. Like, yes, when you play like a racket sport or any other sport, yes, there's a very mental part of it. But running, yes, you just run, but like you're literally, as you said, like you're literally fighting your thoughts. And it's nice to hear it because, you know, as you explained, like for the other events, you don't really have time to think. You just go there, give it all you have and you're out. But the 10K, you literally like, you might think of winning and losing while you're running because you have a lot of time to think. So yeah, it's really nice to hear, as I said. again about like, you know, being away from home. How, like not just the transition, but like, how did you now like find your place here, let's say in US, like ⁓ friends, we all know, the culture is different, like coaching. ⁓ How did you find your spot here? Yeah, ⁓ my year, I cried single day ⁓ on the ride home. I was so homesick. was fortunate enough to have quite a few international teammates, so that was kind good. We all, you could kind of bond over being homesick and stuff like that. ⁓ And you know, as time goes on, you just kind of get more used to it. I think ⁓ it's bit different here. I don't have a whole lot of international teammates, ⁓ but have, you know, some really kind, caring teammates who, you know, make it feel like home anyway. So I think ⁓ the biggest is just finding your people. I think that, that's the biggest thing that makes it more comfortable, know. Having some international roommates is helpful to you. We can bond over some of those cultural differences. That's nice. What was, let's say, the most culture shock for you coming here? ⁓ gosh. Honestly, this isn't really a culture shock, but the hardest thing was that so many places don't have like tap to pay. Like I went to Walmart and I was like, what do mean you can't like tap your phone? Because I don't bring my, I don't walk around with my wallet back home. That was kind of annoying, but not really a culture shift. What's your favorite thing about U.S.? Or like college? I think just getting to do my sport. Back home I probably wouldn't have continued running. being on a team, think, back home cross-country and track is very individual. So it's really nice to be on a team and have teammates. feel like it's bridging the gap between being an individual sport and being a team sport. Okay. That's nice. But talking again, as you said about being international, like those hard days, like everybody gets homesick, right? do you think, like, as you gave advice of like to the international student athletes coming or international students coming and like what they should ⁓ be for and what mindset they should have. ⁓ like now to the coaches, talking now to the athletic administration, do you have any takeaway from your experience, like something they should do different or something that maybe you got from your coaches or, you know, professionals you've met that helped you like, that you can share with us? I think the best thing ⁓ that me kind of feel more at home on my old school is that we had like ⁓ an club for like our international student athletes. And I think that was really good. We could always kind of like bond over things. And ⁓ it's like, we got to learn about, each other's cultures and stuff like that. that was really nice. I think that probably made the biggest difference. Yeah. That's nice. And I agree with that because I remember my first year, as you said, like I've had a lot of international teammates and even on this team I do, but I think like getting there and knowing that there's kind of people lost, like you guys are on the same boat. All of you guys kind of does make it a lot easier. So yeah, definitely. I'll say the same thing about that. But now going back to your last week, you had an amazing last week. EK won ⁓ ⁓ won the OVC championship. She won conference in steeplechase. So want you to tell us ⁓ a bit about how those ⁓ days of conference ⁓ and walk me through that moment. I want to know about it all. Yeah, well, this was the kind of the goal from recruiting. Honestly, this is why I kind of came to Weston. I saw that I would have a chance to win the conference in the steeple. So it's been a goal from the beginning of the year. And honestly, it's been on my mind all year. It's really kind of been stressing me out, but going into that week, we had some injuries and so to kind of compensate for the points we might lose, I ended up being put in the 1500 too. So the original plan was just to do steeple and save my legs, but we needed some points in the 1500. I decided to do that. think the hardest thing was the 1500 was the day before the Steve will chase. So I had to run a heat and then run the final. Um, I probably ran a little bit too fast in the heat cause I was the fastest qualified

for the final. Um, and so I kind of, I got back and I had to, you know, do every, everything possible for a recovery. had like stim, I had Normatec boots. was doing ice bath. I spent for basically the time I race finished when I go back to the hotel, I was doing something. Um, And then Saturday was a steeple. was like 90 degrees in the race. Yeah. It was, I think that was the hardest part. Yeah. Obviously I'm from Australia, which is quite warm, but I haven't, when I go home for the summer, it's always a winter. So I haven't really had the experience in that heat in a long time. So I was really worried about that. And I like was pouring water on myself all day, just sitting in the tent before I warmed up. Yeah. Thankfully, SQL Chase has a little water pit to jump into. that was ⁓ had people throwing water on us during the race. yeah, so there was ⁓ like, I had the fastest qualifying time going in ⁓ and was a couple of girls close to me. I think I I've never been as stressed for a race, I think as I was for that race. ⁓ And it a stressful first couple of laps. Like there was a lot tripping. a girl was kind of getting a little bit like we were tripping each other up a little bit and then they, one girl fell and so it was just trying to stay out of all of that mess and then you know with like 600 meters to go I was like, I need to move and you know I was like, thankfully enough I kind of like pulled away so with about a decent amount of the race to go I knew like as long as I can get over these steeple I'll win so it was a really It was a really good experience and then the end I didn't even realize because I wasn't really looking at time or anything I was just going in the race to win it but I actually PR'd and I broke the facility record so that was also really nice too and very unexpected, yeah. That's amazing. PR, facility record, OVC champion, all in one, that's amazing. But like, I love like, I always thought Steeplechase is very entertaining to watch because First, I don't get it how you guys can run that long with jumping and the water standing up, getting back again. It's a lot going on and you guys still doing it so fast. So I think I actually enjoy and I do believe it's entertaining. But as you talked about, I have two mental questions there, right? Like what you talked about. First one is, as you said, you've known that that was your goal to come here, to win that event, to win exactly that thing and you worked. for it all year long. So tell me like, how did you stay locked in all year through injuries, through everything that happened, indoor, outdoor season? how did you, how were you able to keep the same goal, keep yourself motivated through it all year long and like go into that moment? Like, how did you, cause as you said, like it's a lot of nerves. If you have one goal for a whole year of two years coming here. It's a lot of pressure. So how did you handle that and how did you walk yourself through it? Yeah, I think it was pretty stressful for me. I tend to not set goals like that too much because I think it's weighing on me a lot. this one, think it was more just believing in myself, knowing that I could do it in cross country and indoor track. I kind of had the distractions. It was in the back of my mind, but it wasn't at the forefront. it was a future problem. And then when we started doing outdoor, I my first race and I was ⁓ ranked going through the first couple of weeks. was like, just essentially trying to help myself believe ⁓ in myself know that I could do it. ⁓ And then season progressed and no one had beat that time. And I was going, okay, I can really do this. then going into the race, think I had, again, I was just trying to. trying to trust myself. There were some girls in there that were probably a bit faster than me over say a 3000 without steeple barriers. But you know, I had to just keep reminding myself that I have confidence in my training. was something that I was thinking about during training when I was feeling tired. It something my coach was always reminding me to is that, you know, everyone else is going to be training like this too. Everyone else wants that title. So it was something. He'd always bring up in practice, know, doing every extra rep when it got hard to, you know, kind of think of that. And so going into the race, I just had to remind myself of all training that I'd done, the performances that I put up, ⁓ just convince myself ⁓ to enough faith ⁓ in I love that. love that. There is a saying that I always tell myself, and it's, don't put championship rings on smooth hands. So you basically gotta put the work in, you gotta show up. And as you said, you just gotta keep showing up. That's all you gotta do. And it's crazy because you guys' season is all year long and you have to show up literally from August till now, May, to win whatever you wanna win. But no, that's amazing. I love how you shared ⁓ coach reminding you on days ⁓ you don't feel it. Because those days gonna come. is actually, believe, championships and moments like that are decided even before the race. Like by the time everybody's on the line, like you can kind of know who's going to win it, who's mentally prepared, of course, who's physically prepared, but more mentally who pushed on the days they didn't want to push, you know, so that's amazing to talk about. But also going back to what you shared about. So you ran steeplechase, but before they did the 1500, right? So, day, you're tired, you're trying to recover. What was going in your mind that day? On the steeple of the 1500. After the 1500, now you're getting ready for the steeple. I was personally, when I was hearing you, I was like, if I was in your shoes, I'll be like, why did I run this? Why? I get it, someone is injured. I get it, we need points. but now I might lose my spot, you know? Yeah. And I'll put that in my head probably. Like it will take a lot for you to overcome that. So I know you shared like how

you've been all night trying to recover, but mentally, how did you keep yourself calm and like tell yourself, okay, I still have like tomorrow to win? Well, I think the was good in the sense that ⁓ it rid of the nerves. think even had I not... one steeple I still don't think I would have regretted running the 15. I think that it really helped me get rid of the nerves. But the biggest thing for me was, I talked about this with coach and he said, I'm not going to put you in the 15 unless you want to run it. And I said, well, do you think that I can still win the steeple if I run the 15? And he said, absolutely. So the biggest thing was just reminding myself that coach believes in me. He's the one who's been doing my training. He knows that I can do this. And I think like winning my heat and having the fastest qualified in the 15 was also a nice like confidence boost kind of going into the steeple. I was worried that my legs would be sore and tired and they definitely were in the 1500, the final, the day after the steeple. But I think at that point, you know, it's more mental than it is physical. I just had to, yeah, it was really just thinking about how coach told me he knew I could do it. And he knew that even Even with the 15, I could come back and win it. that was, I was just kept trying to remind myself. That's amazing. I love how you shared that it's more mental than anything because it is like, you're going to run three days in a row. You have to give your best three days in a row. And it, as I said, like it is, it is mental, like, you know, um, so just, just a little advice for any track or cross country athlete out there, like, like what will be the best? You shared reminding yourself of your hard work. You shared talking to your coaches, trusting the process, you know. What will be for you just ⁓ big advice, like mental, to always run back to, you know? Probably trust the process. ⁓ think that's something it took me a long time to come to terms with. ⁓ know, I'm honestly in my whole life, the training I've done here has not been anywhere near as hard as how I've trained for the rep. ⁓ leading up to this point, but it was the sense of training smarter, not harder. And I found it hard at the start. was like, oh, I'm not training as hard as I have in life. I'm training the easiest I've trained in my life. Yet I've beaten every single one of my PRs coming into this year. So it's really just trusting the process. And if you have a coach that you trust and you know can take you to where you need to be, yeah, you just gotta have faith in the process and that it's all gonna work out. Yeah, I hear you talked a little bit about how this year been kind of easier than the years before. So I believe in something where sometimes you have to a little bit let go of something. Like, I don't know how to really explain this, but for me, with my own experience, I used to be like, so with winning, right? And I used to be, ⁓ my God, I have to win this and this

and this and this and this and And I was still winning, but not as much as I wanted to. But then I came to terms with myself one time, you know, after a lot of injuries, after a lot of hard moments and kind of let go of a little bit of that obsession a little bit. I still want to win. I still want to be so good, but there's some things out of our control, you know? So do I hear you talking a little bit about that too or no? Yeah, I think it kind of ties into that. Okay. Well, I have led... to you like lead into that moment? Like did you have any injuries earlier in your career? Losses? Anything like... Coming into college I had literally never been injured except one time I tore a hamstring when I was 12. My freshman year I had a I a stress fracture in my spine and that took me out for almost a year. I ran more this year than I did in my entire college career, probably two times over. I think not being injured was a big thing, you know, maybe in the past I was pushing myself too hard and maybe that's why I was injured. But yeah, so this was my first season where I kind of come in, you know, the last summer, the summer of my sophomore year I was coming off an injury. So I didn't have a good summer block. And then I kind of really only focused on outdoor and I raced maybe two or three times. And then this year I raced every race. I had a decent summer training that wasn't the best, but I did have some good summer training. So, I definitely listen to my body a lot more than I do like taking breaks when I know I need to rather than just pushing through. So that being healthy all year and the first time it's the first time I've been healthy and aged. Yeah, ⁓ long time because I hurt my back and then I was in a boot for a little bit also around. the fall of my sophomore year and I just had continual problems and yeah they've been pretty dormant this year so that's been really good. so what I hear you say, mean I still know your heart and yourself right even though you don't show it but I feel like it was way more extreme before that and now you kind of like more ease let's say with things so Let's say if you can give an advice to all the EK, EK starts in freshman year, right? still, I believe, with really good personal records from high school and coming to US for college. And a lot of expectations from college and from yourself. What would be one advice you'll give to your older Probably don't put too much pressure on yourself. think coming to college, I thought I was going to get those results straight away. I I really want to type a PR in the 1500 from 2019 and that's, you know, seven years ago. And that was, you know, my biggest goal coming to college was I have to beat that. have to beat that. My freshman year, could have not, could not have been further from that. And I think I was just freaking out this whole time. It was in the back of my mind. Like I have to beat that. have to beat that. And this year I kind of just focused on enjoying the process, being able to run, you know, and I eventually defeated it. So, yeah, not putting so much pressure on myself Nice, nice, nice. I feel that with you because I do put a lot of pressure on myself. But for people who don't know, like, yes, you do run multiple events. So that means she needs to run a lot and she needs to practice a lot more than anyone. It's like ⁓ she's doing sports at once. ⁓ But for cross country, they run all day long guys. live with EK, she's always running. Whenever I see EK, it's either she's going to run or going back to finish her run or haven't started yet and she's freaking out at the end of the day. yes, ⁓ about, I know you got to enjoy the sport a little bit, right? And for you to do this for years. So tell me a little bit about that, but also about... You know, a lot of days you're in pain, a lot of days you're gonna feel sick, a lot of days on my comp is gonna be snowing and so cold. what keeps you motivated on those days? I know we talked about like a lot about your goals and stuff, but sometimes we both know very well, like you don't care about any of that anymore, you know? So tell me exactly how you walk yourself through that day. Yeah, I think running, it sucks. Like the process sucks, you know, it's... where you're ⁓ the ground for ages after. ⁓ sometimes just ⁓ runs feel really So ⁓ when have a good day of training, just kind of like trying to ride that high for as long as you can. think those are really helpful to remind you what it feels like to ⁓ feel good. keeping goals in mind, I think when I'm going through a hard workout, just continually reminding myself of the goals that I have to do. And just like, just working on, you know, each, I had a coach, me one time that like, gave me this analogy that every, every training session is like a deposit, you know, in a bank. And when you go to race, you're going to obviously withdraw that all. so thinking, ⁓ sometimes I just like to, like, when it's a really hard day, think of that, like, I don't, it doesn't, you know, have to be the best effort I've, I've got, I mean, as the best I've got on the day, doesn't have to be my, my best work of all time, but. If I show up, if I get that deposit in on race day, it's going to make a difference. Missing a couple runs can ⁓ be makes a difference. So it's just reminding myself that every little counts. doesn't matter how you get it done, just that you get it done. yeah, I think that's probably the best way to think of it. I love the bank ⁓ metaphor. ⁓ hear finance major there. That's very But I keep hearing you talking about coaching. like, you know, coaches here, coaches you had before. So from your own experience, right? How much is that important to you to have kind of safe space to go somewhere and talk, you know, to ⁓ up about your ⁓ health or mental wealth at that point ⁓ the struggles and challenges you're facing and just have an open like space where you feel welcome to share that. So ⁓ ⁓ is that? But also,

any coaches or any athletes even here in us today, ⁓ let's say they're introverts, they don't want to speak about things like that. So like any advice or anyone here in us today that should listen to them? Yeah, I think the biggest thing with my coach now, and this is why I wanted to come to Weston, is he said straight away he sold the potential in me from... from everything I'd done in my old school, but it's just that he has so much faith in and my team. He always believes that we can do things when we can't. that's a huge thing. Running is so much about confidence. And when you have a coach that's lifting you up like that, it's really helpful. But I think it's really important to make those connections with your coaches where ⁓ you're not Obviously you need to keep like a respectful relationship, but you don't want to see them as, you know, a superior. You want to be able to talk to them like, everything. And I think the easiest way to do that is to have a more casual relationship with them. Like, you know, my coach and I, I'm always giving him a hard time. Like he knows I complain a lot and he's always making jokes that, ⁓ we always make jokes about ⁓ I like, I'll get the work done, but you know, ⁓ probably complain on my way. and I think it's really good that we have, ⁓ our whole team has that kind of relationship with him that where, know, which is not so serious. and that we can, you know, talk to him on his level. and I think that's, yeah, the most important thing is, it's, it's going to be easier to talk to a coach when you feel more comfortable with them. yeah, it's hard to, to open up and to tell them about the hard things. And I've always had a problem with that, but, you know, I think you, work on. seeing eye to eye, it can really help. I that, but I love the first part how you shared how much he believes in you and how much he sees things that you guys can do that you guys don't even see that you yourself can do, you know? So I think that's very important for coaches, at least from my own experience. When the coach believes in you, you actually can reach like higher levels. So yeah, that's very, very important. But also talking about identity, right? Like, okay, she's talking about identity and you know, how much we have to do, especially here coming to us. We're known always be working more in our sport or like practicing more working out more. But we also have to like deal with classes, you know, we also have to deal with paperwork. We have a lot to do with imbalance of life here and balance of life back home. So what would you say to an international athlete or even just a student athlete you know, to balance it all or having a hard time like to find their identity, you know? Yeah, I think I understand like time constraints very well. I have two jobs. So I know that it's it's really hard. think just finding any time that you have to, you know, completely disengage from everything, you know, like I usually, I don't get into hobbies too much. Sometimes I'll probably just watch a movie or something or part of a movie if I have time. sometimes, you know, it's okay to be anti-social, you know? I come home some days and I'm just so exhausted. You know, I just want to go to my room and you know, it's okay. Other people are going to understand that, you know? And if that's what helps you decompose, that's what helps. I think ⁓ those little moments to take your mind completely away from it. For me, myself, I don't engage in running on social media. I don't try to follow all these running accounts. don't try. I don't want to open up my social media and ⁓ scroll see running, running, running, running. So I try and keep that. What's on my phone separate from my sport? And yeah, I you know, I do, I have dabbled in a few hobbies. I haven't really kept any of them, but sometimes, you know, I read a lot that, that they can, ⁓ that can really help ending time off screens is also, also helpful too. yeah. Just reconnect with yourself and find what you like. But yeah, I love that. now talking just last few questions here, ⁓ about, you know, everything that went right this year, all the good things you've done. I know now you're about to go home and ⁓ still have. a lot of plans of like you're working out, you're doing this, you're doing that, you know, keep getting better. So what keeps you motivated? Right. We all know how hard it is to stay locked in when you're home. So what keeps you motivated when the season is done, you know, and when you're ready, accomplish a lot this year, what's going to keep you going? think going home, it's nice because I get to train in new locations. That's big thing. You know, I pretty sick of running the same every day and I'm sure I will get sick of them by the time I go home. But you know for the first month or so back home that'll be nice. Being just surrounded by family also you know that's gonna make a big difference but I think a big motivator I didn't have the cross-country season that I'd wanted to have so I'm kind of going into what's probably gonna be my last cross-country season. Just thinking about you know wanting to finish it off well ⁓ and of trying to just be what I mean I had a decent cross-country season but Just yeah, trying to improve on what I did last season. don't necessarily have any goals that I'm setting for myself, but it's just to, you know, be a little bit better every day. And hopefully that translates to, you know, results in the fall. Yeah. I love that. I love that. Cause you're heading to, is there your last year of competition next year? I do have an extra, ⁓ some track that this should be my last cross country season. Yeah. So ⁓ yeah, expectations for EK, but we're going to know she's going to come back. a lot of wins. yeah, just, you know, looking back at everything now, like how far you've come, as you said, like, we're almost done. You're almost there. You almost got your degree. You're almost done with track and cross country. back, what are you the most proud of? I honestly think the growth I've had this year as a person and an athlete, think my first two years didn't go to plan at all. I didn't really run a lot. You know, and I probably wasn't as dedicated to I mean, yeah, to school, but like to the sport as well. And I think this year I kind of really, I really ⁓ in, you know, ⁓ did it. I did all the work. And I think, yeah, I just think I've made a lot of growth as person and as an athlete, I think I definitely have a more positive mindset towards the sport now. And yeah, I think a lot of that's, you know, I've had to work while I'm... here too, so that really helped. So yeah, I think just the growth that I've made in this last year. love that. hear that and I feel it and I see it because ⁓ see like the difference like not for the students sound anything new, but like I do see the difference from the first time we met to like now a year later living together and everything. There's a lot of growth like in your sport, but also in your school like classes and also you and your personality. So we love to see it. You know, it's amazing. So, yeah, now just to just wrap up. Do you have any final message to the athletes and all the athletic people here, here in us today? Just enjoy it, you know, while you can ⁓ do it. Because, I mean, when I got injured that I was hating running and then, you know, I was injured and I was like, ⁓ my gosh, I can't run anymore. And it made me so much more grateful for the sport. enjoy it while you can do it. know, one day you're not going to be able to compete with your team anymore. know, whether you want to go in college or you want to be done after high school, you know, you, you're not always going to be on a team. You're not always going to be able to go and run. Um, and whether you, you know, enjoy the process or not, just, uh, enjoy the little things and yeah, make the most of the time you have doing it. Because once you. Once you're done, you'll definitely miss I love it. It's like she's talking to me right now. It's okay. I'm done. It's too late. But yeah, just to tell the people where they can find you. ⁓ If you want to share your social media, like Instagram, anything. don't know. My is EK what? think, wait, no, might be EK.what. Yeah. Okay. She doesn't know. We'll just share it. ⁓ Yeah, thank you everyone for listening. Thank you, EK for being part of this. you have fun? Yes. Yes, okay. We had a Yappin session before EK goes home. But yeah, thank you everyone for listening and yeah, looking forward to the next ones.