A self-proclaimed all-around athlete, you name a sport and Shelby Davidson has done it: swimming, check; softball, check; volleyball, check. It’s running, however, that has the Cocoa Beach junior the most excited. “I found running and I loved it, and now I want to pursue that in college. I never would have guessed I would be a runner let alone want to run the rest of my life.”
The sudden change of heart came midway through her sophomore year while getting ready for volleyball season. She started running cross country and impressed both her coaches and herself by finishing the year with a personal best of 19:35, nearly five minutes better than the one time she ran before that (a 24:42 5K as a freshman). After spending the spring honing her skills on the track, she racked up the mileage in the summer and got down to business. “I put in a really good summer this past summer, 700 miles! That is an extreme amount, but going into this summer I knew if I wanted to improve and be up with the top girls in the state, I needed that mileage.”
The hard work has definitely paid off. Davidson’s season best of 17:45 (set at the Holy Trinity Fall Classic), is good enough for the fifth best time in the state. “It’s a huge drop from last year, but I want more out of the season. I managed to do it through extremely hard work, pure dedication to running, it's a lifestyle for me. I live it. I love it, It's awesome and I learned how running was so important to me from all this hard work.”
"Find that strength somewhere in you where only your mind will be able to make your legs go faster."
Next up for the Cocoa Beach High junior is the state meet at Little Everglades Ranch, where she hopes to take home the top prize. “The ultimate goal is to win states, which is going to take a lot of energy and in the end will come down to who has the most guts, who wants it the most. I want to be down in the low 17's by the end of this season. My biggest competitors are Kacy Smith (Estero), Nicole Carpio (Ransom Everglades), and Stephanie Schappert (Pope John Paul II). They are all amazing runners and this state race will be one to watch for sure because we are all pretty evenly matched. Like I said, whoever has the most guts will get that first place medal because I am mentally prepared that physical exhaustion will pass and I will need to dig deep for that gut feeling.”
She was labeled as a “wildcard” going into the FLRunners.com Invitational, someone to keep an eye on. It’s a role she embraces. "Flying under the radar does not bother me at all." Davidson admits to being an avid rankings watcher, but doesn’t let it get too much to her head. “I check them every time they come out and keep up with the latest results from other meets and things like that but rankings are just rankings, what matters is what happens the day of the race. The day of the race, anyone could surprise anyone. It all depends on how everyone feels, the course, people's weather preferences, mentailties, etc.”
One of her biggest competitors, who gets a little more time in the limelight is fellow sophomore Kacy Smith who is ranked eighth in the state with a time of 17:47. Turns out Davidson and Smith are more just rivals on the course, “I love Kacy Smith from Estero! I consider her one of my best friends from another school running. We talk all the time about races and Fl Runners and all that, and how she gets a lot of publicity, it doesn't bother me at all. She's hilarious and we don't let any nasty competition ever get between us.”
After the state meet, Shelby plans on competing in Foot Locker South and hopes to place in the top 10 and go to San Diego. Following, cross country season she will transition to track where she hopes to break five minutes in the 1600 and run in the 10:30s in the 3200.
Great running runs in the Davidson family. Her dad was a high school runner, and her brother Tyler is a freshman runner for the University of Florida. She credits him for her success and for pushing her mental toughness. “He's been so helpful ever since I started running cross country. He always motivated me to get up early in the morning and go run over the summer, which now I love doing and running in the morning is my favorite! Also, he always tells me that running is an extremely mental sport, so I need to keep a strong mentality and believe in myself; most importantly because in the last part of a race when you feel you have nothing left, and you are so physically exhausted, you have to dig deep and find that strength somewhere in you where only your mind will be able to make your legs go faster.”
The sports has also brought the two closer together as a family, creating a bond on the course and off. “The past year when I was a sophomore and Tyler was a senior was one of the best years, because we became so much closer as brother and sister. Basically we became best friends, always riding to school and home from practice together, and being at practice in general. During those times is when he taught me a lot about running, and gave me so much advice that made me wish I had started running earlier so we could've run on the same team for a longer time.”
Shelby wants to follow in her brothers footsteps, but unlike his third place finish she’s going for gold. “I really want to win. It's that deep feeling you get when you know how bad you want something, you're just itching to do it.” Although she has several years before college, will she follow in Tyler’s footsteps and be a Gator? She’s not ruling it out. “UF is definitely one of my college choices, but I haven't been on any recruiting trips yet because I can't since I'm a junior. Once I am able to I will look at Florida as well as other colleges who have great running programs and academics.”
She offers up this advice for those considering the sport, “I would say that they should definitely do it. Running is something you can do your entire life no matter what age you are. The competition is so fun, and having that team bonding experience as well as meeting tons of new people from all different schools, it’s such a great experience.”
Getting to Know Shelby Davidson
Three things people don’t know about you: “I really love fashion. I’m allergic to peanut butter, yes epic sucks because PB is like the runner's staple food, and I'm really organized, one may say a neat freak.”
Favorite cross country/memory or story: “Last year at the South Fork invitational race, probably the muddiest, nastiest race I have ever ran but it was by far the best. When we all finished, we were soaked in black mud and drenched in sweat and we all smelled so bad but we took tons of pictures, and ran around the course searching for my teammates MIA shoe. It was so much fun.”
Last movie you saw: “When In Rome I think. I don't get to go to the movies too often because I always have so much homework or I'm running, but it was really good and I love josh Duhmel, he's very attractive.” Celebrity Crush? No crush, just I think he's attractive. Cristiano Ronaldo the soccer player, that is my crush, he is extremely attractive.”
Stranded on an island with three things: I would want my running shoes, my cell phone, and CEREAL! I love cereal so much, have an obsession, weird, but it is so delicious. My favorite cereal is organic whole grain squares by Cascadian Farms or Honey Bunches of Oats with pecan bunches, so yummy. I like great grains. I eat a lot of organic food.
Favorite subject in school: “Math, because it's fun for me and I like how everything has a legitimate answer.
Final Thoughts: I love running and one day I promise my name will be known in the world. I believe I can do it, I just have to actually do it. One day go to the Olympics break world records if I’m lucky and meet some cool people like Usain Bolt. I'll make it happen!
