Samara Quanz (front, left) at the 2016 CWOSSA cross country championships where she placed 8th out of 132 in the 3000m midget girls, October 27.

Raina Watson
Co-op Student

Eat. Run. Sleep. Repeat. Grade 10 Saugeen District Secondary School (SDSS) runner Samara Quanz has been following that rule since she first set foot on the race track. She has competed in over 30 races this year alone and has won so many that she hasn’t been able to keep track.

Quanz recently place first out of 166 other runners at the Waterloo Cross Country Invitational October 5.

Quanz has always loved the way sports such as running brings people together around a common interest and said that’s one of the reasons she started to take an interest in cross country during her early elementary school days at École Port Elgin Saugeen Central School (ÉPESCS). She was a member of ÉPESCS’s cross country team for as long as she could be, running with her friends at recess as well as at home, realizing that she had a knack for the sport. Eventually Quanz was invited to attend a meet with the Saugeen Track & Field Club where she learned that running could take her all over Ontario and possibly beyond.

Training became a more serious matter for Quanz in Grade 9, attending meets five times a week, three with the Saugeen Track & Field Club which is open to athletes from all over Saugeen Shores, as well as meeting twice a week with SDSS’s cross country team coached by Joe Chappell. Chappell has been helping Quanz in her success as a runner, setting the example of how hard work pays off. Quanz still enjoys running with friends and on her own on weekends. It all chalks up to her running every day she can.

"The feeling you get after finishing a race is just amazing, it makes you feel so accomplished and proud of yourself. Every time I finish one it makes me even more motivated to train harder and improve on myself. Running makes me inspired and it's one of my favourite things to do,” said Quanz, who added that even when running a 5k she pushes herself because she knows the sense of pride she will experience after crossing the finish line.

”I love the social aspect of running too, it's great because you get a chance to meet so many people at every meet since you're all interested in the same thing,” Quanz said.

Quanz was one of five runners chosen from Bluewater District School Board to attend the OFSAA Cross Country Championships in Toronto in 2016, where each district saw five representatives compete. She placed 33rd in the midget girls division out of 284. This year if Samara qualifies again she will be travelling all the way to Pettawawa for the OFSAA competition.

She is also open to trying new sports and events, really embracing what her body can do by attempting and succeeding in a 1500m and 800m steeplechase where she leaped over barriers while running. She also participates in soccer outside of school in the summer, as well as tennis, and is planning to start badminton with the school this year, all while continuing her intensive training schedule.

Samara plans to go to college or university in the future and run with their larger teams, but isn't sure quite yet where her running will lead her. "If the opportunity comes up to start a serious career with running I would take it, but until then I want to just keep training as hard as I have been and keep up with all the competition,” said Quanz, who isn’t sure how things will turn out, but doesn’t plan on stopping training any time soon.

On the left, Samara Quanz celebrating after a successful day of racing. On the right, Samara Quanz runs alongside a Walkerton competitor at the Bluewater Athletics Association cross country meet October 17.

Samara Quanz runs every day she can and said the feeling of accomplishment when crossing the finish line is amazing.