Running track, at least for Sulphur’s Kyrtleigh Snow, is a mind game. And without question, the Lady Bulldogs 2021 grad is well prepared to embrace any challenge.
“Track is definitely a mental sport. The only thing limiting your body is your mind,” explained Snow who by posting a 4.0 GPA gained National Honor Society membership and was awarded the 2021 female academic athlete of the year honor. “If you let your mind win your body listens and gives up. You have to push yourself every race and every practice.”
Sometimes its little things like name introductions that can distract your focus.
“I’ve grown used to people mispronouncing my first name, for sure. I am always prepared for it,” laughed Snow.
This season she ran on the Lady Bulldogs 4×100, 4×200 and 4×400 relays, which the later qualified for the Class 4A state meet. Snow’s success in track results from her commitment to hard work, even when another choice would be easier.
“Success in track is about how hard you train and how hard you are willing to work. Coach Heitland always pushed me to be my best and encouraged me every step of the way, I owe a lot of my success to him,” Snow said with confidence. “I believe in hard work.”
It’s also personal trait of competitiveness that fuels the fire of Snow.
“I am not afraid of a challenge, if I see a teammate struggling I will be there for them. Competitive describes me best, it’s what drives me as an athlete,” replied “Kyrt”, who was also a Sulphur cheerleader as well as Student Council president. “I hate losing and in track being taken off a relay was my biggest fear. I used this to fuel me in practice, early morning workouts and when the extra mile needs to be taken.”
The next journey for Snow results in trading in the spikes for the classroom at the University of Oklahoma where she’ll major in Nursing and minor in sign language studies energized by the words of advice from her mom.
““No pain no gain”…my mom has said this to me my whole life and I have applied to every area of my life. In sports you do not get better without a little pain and in life pain means the best is yet to come.”
