Sports often provide an escape or create a sense of normalcy in someone’s life. They act as an anchor in turbulent waters, keeping people close to who they are instead of aimlessly drifting in the current. What happens when that anchor is removed? This was something senior track and field athlete Jude Hardee had to find out.
“I started running my junior year of high school,” Hardee said. “By mid-high school my whole friend group was the cross country team. It was just kind of how it worked out. I met them through other classes and they all ran, and I needed an athletic credit to graduate high school so I thought, screw it, I’ll run cross country.”
And just like that, Jude Hardee was a runner. But as it turned out, Hardee got much more than an athletic credit. He found something he loved.
“Over COVID I got really, really into it. I just trained really hard,” Hardee said. “I’d just go out and run like six miles as hard as I could, like every day. I had nothing better to do basically. I was really enjoying it. I like the idea of getting better.”
All of Hardee’s training paid off. When he got back to school for his senior year, he rose the ranks of the cross-country team, going from the 25th ranked runner to second on his team. He cut four minutes off his 5K. Hardee ultimately decided he wanted to keep running in college. Now it was a matter of finding a place he could do it.
“My older brother is an alum, so I’ve known about Trinity forever.” Hardee said. “I looked at Trinity’s cross country team and saw that they had some really motivated people, and I knew it was a really good school academically. It seemed like a good balance of being a good school academically and running-wise.”
The problem Hardee faced was his lack of experience. Because most of his races took place during his junior season, Hardee’s PRs were not what Trinity was looking for. All he could do was hope they would give him a chance.
“Even though my PRs were way off what they were looking for, the assistant coach still reached out to me, and she, I don’t know if believed in me is the right word. I don’t know if she quite did at that point, but she was at least willing to give me the time of day, which I really appreciate,” Hardee said.
Hardee rewarded Coach Loeffler’s patience, as he significantly lowered his PRs in what was his best high school season. He then received his acceptance letter followed by an offer to run for Trinity track and field.
“It’s still one of the coolest moments of my life,” Hardee said. “I never thought I would do anything athletic in college, and to have the ability to was a really special moment, and it’s still one of the proudest things of my whole life.”
However, Hardee’s lack of experience running caught up with him at Trinity. Injury after injury followed him like a dark cloud. Hardee would work his way back and then be sidelined once again.
“That was really tough,” Hardee said. “There’s nothing quite as brutal as pouring your whole life into something, trying to get better and compete for something, and then one day something just blows up on you. Whether it’s your hamstring, or your quad or your ankle, you’re sidelined for months.”
The physical pain Hardee experienced on a routine basis also caused him the mental pain of worrying about future injuries. This turned running from a place of joy into a stressor in Hardee’s life.
“I’d worry so much about the workout we were running the next morning,” Hardee said. “I was worrying about if I was getting enough sleep, or if I ran too hard the day before or if I was going to injure myself.”
Things only got worse from there. Hardee’s fears of injury got to a point that they interfered not only with his athletics, but with his day-to-day life and health.
“It got to the point where I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t focus on anything else. It just put so much stress on me,” Hardee said. “I remember waking up in the morning ready for either a practice day or not, and I would just feel my heart pounding in my ears. It felt like I had a flight-or-fight response for something that should be bringing me so much joy.”
It was clear that something needed to change for Hardee. He was caught in between his body’s needs and his passion for running with his teammates. At the end of his junior year, Hardee spoke to his coaches about becoming the team manager, a position that would allow him to remain a part of the team while removing the stress of competing.
“What I told them was competing is really stressing me out and I need to take a step back, but I still think there’s a lot of benefit I could bring to people who are also struggling with the sport, and I would like the ability to do that in some sort of coaching adjacent position or by being the team manager,” Hardee said.
The coaching staff agreed with Hardee and brought him on as the team manager for his senior season. Hardee’s new place on the team allows him to stay connected with his teammates, who he’s known for years and get a fresh start with the sport he loves.
“Sometime soon I’ll be starting work … I’ll be in DFW, so I’ve been looking for running groups there.” Hardee said. “I’m excited to work towards something again and just put it all out on the pavement. Running will be a part of my life for all of it.”
