Veronica Znajda
School you attend and grade? Prospect High School. I am a senior.
What sport do you play? How long have you been playing? I have been running on the cross country and track teams since sixth grade, so this is my seventh year.
What inspired you to get started with your chosen sport? My dad, who was a track athlete in high school, encouraged me to sign up in sixth grade. I signed up just to get involved with something, and I stuck with it ever since.
What event do you participate in cross country and track? For track events, I run longer distance races, which includes everything from the 400 m to the 3200 m.
What do you enjoy most when playing your favorite sport? I enjoy laughing and having fun with my teammates the most. We know each other better than anyone because of all the time we’ve spent together at practice.
What was your proudest moment? My proudest moment is winning cross country state as a team in 2022. I am so grateful for my teammates for being the amazing family they are, my coaches for training me to achieve more, and my parents.
Who is someone you admire? I admire my former teammate Audrey Ginsberg. When I was a freshman, she was the first person I knew to continue running in college. She inspires me because of all she has accomplished while being a kind person.
What advice do you have for others looking to get into running? My advice would be to find the fun. If you can find your passion for the sport and people who you love to do it with, putting in the work and improving will be that much easier.