2-time Olympic Trials Marathon Qualifier; 4-time NCAA DII All-American

My boyfriend, Tommy Rohr, is currently a medical student at Indiana University. My sister, Zoe Seward, is a freshman at the University of Southern Indiana and won Freshman of the Year for cross country. My brother, Eli Seward, will be coming to Orlando from South America, where he biked across Bolivia after Alaskan fire season ended in October. Other key members of my support system includes my dad (Eric Seward), my mom (Jaimie Kirkwood), my siblings (Hannah, Abe, Jaylen) and my nephew (Jeff).

Running has had an ever-evolving meaning and constant presence in my life. There have been seasons of my running career where running was a tool to make friends and connect to the community. There have been other seasons when running was a platform for self-improvement and achieving race goals. At times, running has been a coping mechanism to deal with grief, stress and loneliness. Often, running has been a way to connect to nature and the world around me. Currently, I am looking forward to running fast and pushing my limits on the roads at the 2024 Olympic Trials. However, I know that even if this changes, I will find another meaning and space for running.

I was 15 when I woke up before sunrise to glue my eyes to the TV as Shalane, Des and Kara toed the line at the 2012 Olympics in London. I remember feeling empowered by Shalane and Kara as they wrapped their arms around each other at the finish line and I remember feeling heartbroken as Des hobbled off the course with an injury. Truthfully, since that day I have felt a deep calling toward the marathon. Something about the grit, comradery and turbulence of the 26.2 miles has always fascinated me since that day. I was eager to run my first marathon. As a 21-year-old junior in college, I went to my coach’s office and asked for her approval to run my first marathon in between outdoor track and field nationals and cross country season. She was shocked by the question but eventually gave me her approval. Before I left, however, I remember she asked me, “Why the marathon?” Now that I have run four marathons, I realize what fascinated me about the marathon - like life, the marathon is hard, very hard. However, I love that the marathon is hard because it reminds me of my strength to endure hard times and the deep satisfaction of working hard for a goal.

“Whatever you choose to do, leave tracks. That means don’t do it just for yourself. You will want to leave the world a little better for your having lived.” - Ruth Bader Ginsburg

I often think of a trail run as a metaphor for my running career. There have been various roots, holes and ledges and I have fallen on several of them: when I missed qualifying for the state meet in Indiana’s one-class cross country system, by one place in high school; when I sustained back-to-back femoral stress fracture during my collegiate career; when I fainted from heat exhaustion during a half marathon. Like a trail run, however, when I remind myself to stop staring down at my feet, I look up to find myself with the most spectacular views like when I had the opportunity to spend my collegiate career in the Rocky Mountains, or when I got to hold my All-American trophy on the podium in front of the nation. or when I got to stand on the start line of the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials with the United States' fastest women. Most importantly, like a trail run, the most important parts of my running career are the incredible people I have met who have paved their own path to the same trail. I think about my teammates during my early running years who wrote me handwritten letters of encouragement and gave me hair-braiding tutorials on the bus heading to races; I also think about meeting my boyfriend on a run and sharing our life stories of the past and our ambitions for the future. My running career has been filled with falls, summits and relationships and I am excited to see where the “trail” leads next.