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<!doctype html><html lang="en"><head><title data-rh="true">“She’ll Never Be an Athlete” — How I Outran My Doctors’ Prediction in My 20s | by Emilyallen | Runner's Life | Nov, 2024 | Medium</title><meta data-rh="true" charset="utf-8"/><meta data-rh="true" name="viewport" content="width=device-width,minimum-scale=1,initial-scale=1,maximum-scale=1"/><meta data-rh="true" name="theme-color" content="#000000"/><meta data-rh="true" name="twitter:app:name:iphone" content="Medium"/><meta data-rh="true" name="twitter:app:id:iphone" content="828256236"/><meta data-rh="true" property="al:ios:app_name" content="Medium"/><meta data-rh="true" property="al:ios:app_store_id" content="828256236"/><meta data-rh="true" property="al:android:package" content="com.medium.reader"/><meta data-rh="true" property="fb:app_id" content="542599432471018"/><meta data-rh="true" property="og:site_name" content="Medium"/><meta data-rh="true" property="og:type" content="article"/><meta data-rh="true" property="article:published_time" content="2024-11-19T02:21:15.740Z"/><meta data-rh="true" name="title" content="“She’ll Never Be an Athlete” — How I Outran My Doctors’ Prediction in My 20s | by Emilyallen | Runner's Life | Nov, 2024 | Medium"/><meta data-rh="true" property="og:title" content="”She’ll Never Be an Athlete” — How I Outran My Doctors’ Prediction in My 20s"/><meta data-rh="true" property="al:android:url" content="medium://p/08d1f3635b11"/><meta data-rh="true" property="al:ios:url" content="medium://p/08d1f3635b11"/><meta data-rh="true" property="al:android:app_name" content="Medium"/><meta data-rh="true" name="description" content="Ah, the soundtrack of my old school PE lessons. 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sizes="(min-resolution: 4dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 50vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 4) and (max-width: 700px) 50vw, (min-resolution: 3dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 67vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 3) and (max-width: 700px) 65vw, (min-resolution: 2.5dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 80vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2.5) and (max-width: 700px) 80vw, (min-resolution: 2dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 100vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) and (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" type="image/webp"/><source data-testid="og" srcSet="https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:640/1*0pvh1zYyywEK6K-Cxb5mEg.png 640w, https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:720/1*0pvh1zYyywEK6K-Cxb5mEg.png 720w, https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:750/1*0pvh1zYyywEK6K-Cxb5mEg.png 750w, https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:786/1*0pvh1zYyywEK6K-Cxb5mEg.png 786w, https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:828/1*0pvh1zYyywEK6K-Cxb5mEg.png 828w, https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1100/1*0pvh1zYyywEK6K-Cxb5mEg.png 1100w, https://miro.medium.com/v2/resize:fit:1400/1*0pvh1zYyywEK6K-Cxb5mEg.png 1400w" sizes="(min-resolution: 4dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 50vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 4) and (max-width: 700px) 50vw, (min-resolution: 3dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 67vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 3) and (max-width: 700px) 65vw, (min-resolution: 2.5dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 80vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2.5) and (max-width: 700px) 80vw, (min-resolution: 2dppx) and (max-width: 700px) 100vw, (-webkit-min-device-pixel-ratio: 2) and (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px"/><img alt="" class="bh mt nz c" width="700" height="700" loading="eager" role="presentation"/></picture></div></div><figcaption class="oa ff ob nm nn oc od bf b bg z du">Running at your own pace is good for the soul</figcaption></figure><p id="aa5b" class="pw-post-body-paragraph oe of hd og b hx oh oi oj ia ok ol om on oo op oq or os ot ou ov ow ox oy oz gw bk"><em class="pa">“Run and catch it! Run down the field!”</em></p><p id="b6fe" class="pw-post-body-paragraph oe of hd og b hx oh oi oj ia ok ol om on oo op oq or os ot ou ov ow ox oy oz gw bk"><em class="pa">“Run faster, their batter’s already at the third post!”</em></p><p id="9ecf" class="pw-post-body-paragraph oe of hd og b hx oh oi oj ia ok ol om on oo op oq or os ot ou ov ow ox oy oz gw bk"><em class="pa">“For God’s sake, you’re meant to be manning first base!”</em></p><p id="f2f8" class="pw-post-body-paragraph oe of hd og b hx oh oi oj ia ok ol om on oo op oq or os ot ou ov ow ox oy oz gw bk">Ah, the soundtrack of my old school PE lessons. If I shut my eyes, I can even conjure up the disappointed faces of my teammates, and the feeling of utter shame at, yet again, failing to run towards and catch the ball, meaning I’d sealed the other team’s victory.</p><p id="7af1" class="pw-post-body-paragraph oe of hd og b hx oh oi oj ia ok ol om on oo op oq or os ot ou ov ow ox oy oz gw bk">I had asked not to be put on first base while playing rounders. Several times, in fact. But the PE teacher, deciding I was either lazy or stupid, decided to make an example of me by putting me on first base. To my teammates’ despair. I’d never enjoyed sports or exercise, because I’d never been good at them. Or had I never been good at them because I didn’t like them?</p><p id="52cb" class="pw-post-body-paragraph oe of hd og b hx oh oi oj ia ok ol om on oo op oq or os ot ou ov ow ox oy oz gw bk">This never-ending circle of uncertainty is something I experienced daily as a child (but only came to fully understand as an adult). I was born extremely prematurely, and looked more like a plucked chicken than a baby. Thankfully, my parents learned that I was to…</p></div></div></div></div></section></div></div></article></div><div class="l"></div><footer class="pb pc pd pe pf pg ph pi gv ab q pj jb c"><div class="l ae"><div class="ab cb"><div class="ci bh fz ga gb gc"><div class="ab cp pk"><div class="ab q ll"><div class="pl l"><span class="l pm pn po e d"><div class="ab q ll lm"><div class="pw-multi-vote-icon fj gt ln lo lp"><span><a class="af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at" data-testid="footerClapButton" rel="noopener follow" href="/m/signin?actionUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fmedium.com%2F_%2Fvote%2Frunners-life%2F08d1f3635b11&operation=register&redirect=https%3A%2F%2Fmedium.com%2Frunners-life%2Fshell-never-be-an-athlete-how-i-outran-my-doctors-prediction-in-my-20s-08d1f3635b11&user=Emilyallen&userId=c424dfed60c5&source=---footer_actions--08d1f3635b11---------------------clap_footer-----------"><div><div class="bm" aria-hidden="false"><div class="lq ao lr ls lt lu am lv lw lx lp"><svg 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