First race memories: “Just as I started walking, a woman stopped to help me.”

Name: Emily Salt

Age then: 9

Age now: 22

Town: Grimsby, ON

Race: Grimsby’s Crystal Wealth 5K Road Race

What inspired me to run: I was a pretty ambitious nine-year-old girl. Back then, I was sure that I would complete my first Around the Bay 30K road race by 13. My father had run it many years before I was born and the father of my best friend ran Around The Bay religiously each year. I used to go with my mother to watch the thousands of runners of ages and abilities cross the finish line. I knew if I trained patiently I knew I could be one of them. Naturally, I had to start small so I started training for a 5K.

How I trained: My mother was incredibly encouraging and would drive slowly beside me on my evening runs. She would shout encouraging words and keep my times.

What I was worried about before the race: The morning of the race I was worried that I was going to get hungry during the run. I ate a big bowl of mac and cheese (because that’s how carb loading works, right?) Minutes before, I had a terrible case of butterflies. I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to reach my goal of running under 30 minutes. My mother pointed out a boy at the start line who looked about my age telling me to keep up with him. That boy turned out to be the fastest runner in my high school…

A memory that stands out: When I hit the 4K mark, I got a stitch in my right side. Frustrated and defeated, I began to walk. I breathed deeply to try to rid myself of the pain and to stop myself from crying in disappointment. I had been walking for about 30 seconds when a woman began running slowly beside me. “Come on,” she said. “We can still make it in under 30.” I started running again but didn’t say anything because I was embarrassed about tearing up. When the finish line was in sight, she shouted “Strong finish” (That became my race mantra.) We sprinted the last 100m, coming in at 29:21 minutes and both placing 3rd in our age groups. I saw her cheering for me when I walked on stage to collect my prize.

My time: 29:21

Races I’ve done since: I have since completed dozens of races but most notable being the 2015 Around the Bay. At 22, I accomplished my childhood goal.

Have a first race memory you want to share? Write in to sinead@runningmag2.wpengine.com