At the young age of only 7 years old, senior Tess Collins had a passion for running instilled in her that would last for more than a decade and affect the course of her whole life. Her father Michael Collins has been running for the entirety of his life and as a result of his passion Tess was raised with a love for running and a determination to become the best version of herself possible through countless hours of running and a consistent routine that became apart of her everyday life. Tess is a hardworking and determined person in all aspects of her school and home life, and one of the main ways in which her hard work is visible is through her dedication and devotion to both the track and cross country teams.

Tess attended St Anthony De Padua grade school and joined the track team when she was a 5th grader. She quickly realized that track was something she felt fulfilled part of her purpose and fueled her work ethic and drive. Tess threw herself into running and put countless hours into growing and improving as much as possible. When she became a freshman cross country and track became central to Tess’s life as a student athlete, and she has now been a member of both of those teams for all 4 years.

Not only has being apart of these teams helped shape her as an athlete, but according to Tess, “The relationships with girls on the team that have been built have given her some of her best friends, and she is forever grateful to all the amazing people who have come into her life as a result of both track and cross country.”

Tess and her part in St Joe athletics are an excellent example of how playing a sport can have positive impacts on all facets of life, especially when amazing connections are built as a result.