We’re all born to run. It’s just whether we choose to do it. Some of us want to, but we need an extra push. And that was me. I just needed someone to take my running talents and friendships to the next level. That’s when I met Coach Mulrooney, Arrowhead Union High School’s Cross Country and Distance Track coach. Like any good coach he motivated me and connected me to the world.



To start, you can’t compare anyone to his style. In the season, he disciplines us and keeps us motivated, upbeat, and healthy by giving us difficult, yet refreshing workouts and drills. During meets, he is supportive, fatherly, and caring about everyone on the team. During the offseason, he constantly checks up on us, making sure we’re okay, asking how grades are going, and setting up workout groups and entering us into road races. He is not just a coach, but he is also a friend and to me and my father figure.



Coach Mulrooney is always there to push me to the next level. He is always there if I’m having struggles, if I’m hurting, or if I just need someone to talk to. Before I met Coach Mulrooney, I was someone else. I wanted things, but I didn’t push for them. I had friends, but didn’t drive to expand my relations. I tried to understand the term of being a “father”, and then I found it. A father isn’t just the man that is connected to you through family, it’s the man who wants the best for you and cares for you. When I met Coach Mulrooney, I drove hard for things, I made more friends, and I met someone who could be a fatherly figure to me.

The power that each of us have is hard to discover. The ability to run towards your goals and dreams sometimes seems impossible. I’m thankful Coach Mulrooney showed me what I’m capable of. Thank you, Coach, for all the great times; I’ll never let them go.