Where it all Started

It all started when I was an 8 year old little girl. Pony tail tied back, bright blue anxious eyes, a baggy t-shirt and some generic sneakers on the starting line of my first race. I had no clue that those first steps towards the finish line was the beginning of a journey I have yet to finish 12 years later. Let me introduce myself, my name is Emily Lewis and I am completely in love with running. Not a fitness hobby kind of love, more like a "leaving-your-family-and-boyfriend-and-moving- across- the -country- to- run" kind of love. I've been running competitively for almost 12 years now and throughout the thousands upon thousands of miles I've logged, its taken me on some pretty fantastic adventures.
So back to the beginning, I ran my first race when I was 8 years old. My best friend's older sister would time us as we ran around the block, 4 times equaled a mile. I remember running as fast as my little legs would let me because I wanted to win and I liked the feeling in between my feet hitting the pavement. That flying feeling. When I was 12 years old I joined my first cross country team and set a course record at our home meet, beating all the boys. When I was 13 I trained for and won my first half-marathon. At age 14 I joined my local high school and track team and quickly found out that I was not as great of a runner as I thought.
What a relief!
I continued to run all throughout my freshman to senior year for the cross country and track team. By the end of my freshman track season after the state championships I began to think to myself, "Maybe I could do something with this. Maybe I could take running with me after high school." I would pour myself into YouTube races, watching incredible women run championship races that I couldn't even dare to dream of running in. When I was 17 I got very sick and almost missed out on my junior cross country season. However, by the grace of God, my incredible coach or who knows what, I managed to run my way to the state championships and later race for nationals in the West Regional Footlocker Championships down in California.
After that race I really started to believe in myself as an athlete. I started considering colleges to run for and by senior year was contacting many college coaches. Fast forward to November 2015 when I flew down to New Mexico to tour Eastern New Mexico University and meet the coach. It was all too surreal, my biggest dreams all the sudden were a reality. I was fast enough that someone wanted me to run for them. Not just someone, a college coach. I was over the moon! I excitedly accepted my scholarship contract without a doubt and signed as a two sport athlete to ENMU. Cross country and track. Upon graduating high school I packed my suitcases, said goodbye to my family, my darling boyfriend, the PNW, and everything else I knew and moved down to New Mexico to very literally chase my dreams.
I had absolutely no clue what I was in for.
Eastern New Mexico University is located in Portales, New Mexico, if you havent heard of it, that's ok, neither had I. Imagine a dusty western town complete with sagebrush and upset dehydrated grass right on the border between Texas and Mexico. For someone coming from Washington it was a culture shock!
Needless to say my freshman year running collegiately has been an emotional, fast paced, incredible experience that I wouldn't trade for anything. Running for ENMU has taken me to New Mexico,
Colorado, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and many other places. I discovered more about myself as an athlete than I ever had before. I grew to really love my team but the longer I stayed in Portales, the more I realized I needed to come home. As the school year comes to an end and I pack my suitcases full of running gear to fly back home, I am proud to announce that I am following my heart and transferring to Central Washington University to run cross country and track. I can't wait to see where this next journey will take me. There is no finish line!