Ruby Wyles

6 years ago (today), I arrived in America 🇺🇸 full of ambition and hope for a great NCAA career ahead. Coming off the best running year of my life, where I PR’d in almost every race I ran, at 18, I gave up 5 medical school offers to prioritize my athletic dreams. 🏃🏻‍♀️🏆 I ended 2019, my senior year of high school, ranked in the top 10 lists of U20 British women for the 5 km, 10 km, 10 mile, and half marathon race distances 🇬🇧. I won a silver medal 🥈 in the 5,000m at the national track and field championships, alongside success at other major meets too.

Reflecting, my 18-year-old self would’ve concluded the last 6 years were a massive failure:

❌ 0 x PRs, not a single second faster in any distance than my 18-year-old self

❌ 0 x NCAA Division I finals made, 0 x NCAA Division I All-American titles, only 1 x NCAA Division I conference title

❌ 0 x healthy years of running

❌ Only 1 x healthy running season (indoors 2022; all others were either returning from injuries or injured)

❌ +/= 2 x bone stress injuries every year (8 bone stress injuries in total, plus 12 other broken bones, 2 torn tendons, and an array of other physical and mental health “things”)

❌ Missed opportunities to race big meets across the US, team travel trips, and championship rings

❌ Getting hit by a semi truck, multiple
concussions, ongoing post-concussion syndrome

❌ Losing love and joy for the sport
.. the list continues

Fortunately, my 24-year-old self has a better perspective: I have many regrets, but coming to the US is not one of them.

It’s not what I wanted, but it’s where I am, and I’m grateful for the opportunities and the people I’ve met along the way. 🫶