If you ever get the chance to sit down with Chanli Mundy and ask her about her weekend plans, this is what you’ll get:
“I’m a pretty boring person. I just run on the weekends.”
Run, run, run. That’s all Mundy seems to do. The evidence of her lackluster life lies in her first-place finish at the sectional, regional and semi-state cross country meets in 2011, along with her ninth-place finish at the 2011 Indiana State Cross Country Meet and her 17:57 PR.
Naturally, a dedicated runner such as Mundy would want to spend her summer at a distance running camp to improve her athleticism. Well, not just any good ‘ole distance running camp would do for this cross country standout. After months of begging her parents and a promise to cover the exorbitant cost of the trip, Mundy found herself at the Oregon Distance Camp in Eugene, smack dab in the middle of the 2012 Olympic Trials.
“It’s honestly always been my dream to go out there!” Mundy exclaimed. “Eugene is a runner’s paradise, and being at the trials was so surreal. Seeing all those athletes who have worked so hard to get to that point was just incredible. I took a lot of experiences from it, and I’m really passionate about making it there.”
You would think that the boredom surrounding Mundy would end there, but that’s not the case. In addition to volunteering with her local humane shelter every month, Mundy participates in the H.E.R.O. anti-bullying program with her school. She visits different middle schools around the area with fellow classmates and students in the community in a campaign against peer-to-peer harassment.
“We speak to the students about bullying,” said Mundy. “It’s really nice because some of the students open up to us. We’ve seen a few tears, yet we always manage to help the kids work through their difficulties.”
Mundy’s humanitarian work doesn’t stop there. Her favorite class at Terra Haute North Vigo High School is her Peer Education course, which is designed to increase students’ awareness of physical and mental disabilities. Mundy assists with the instruction of students with significant disabilities through a bonding relationship, and fosters the students’ personal growth and development.
“The most rewarding thing is just walking into that classroom every single day. They always have smiles on their faces; I can always guarantee walking in there and having them makes my day so much better, so much more special,” she said. ““I have a huge heart for those kids, and I love them to death.”
Mundy was fortunate enough to take the class twice this past year. The class is the only thing Mundy is looking forward to when she goes back to school in the fall, especially since her experience with the kids helped her make an important decision regarding her future.
“At first, I wanted to go to college for pre-med and major in chemistry. Now, I want to find a career in special education,” Mundy said. “It’s definitely opened my eyes to different things, and I realize now how fortunate I am.”
Mundy also owns her own blog dedicated to running. She cites her personal experiences as a determined and focused high school scholar-athlete who puts running as her first priority in life. Writing the blog has helped Mundy reach out to other runners she otherwise wouldn’t have contact with.
“The best part about writing my blog is when people thank me for writing it,” Mundy said. “I always like doing things for other people, and knowing that I’ve helped them truly does help me.”
In addition to helping her reach out to other runners, Mundy says that sharing her personal thoughts with strangers motivates her to live up to what she believes in.
“You have your challenges as a runner every single day, and the toughest obstacle I have is the mental block,” Mundy said. “Going to the start line and just believing that you belong there is something I’ve always had trouble with. Writing the blog has helped me remember what I believe in, and I realize that I need to be positive with myself.
“I’m a competitive runner in every sense of the word. I just need to remember to believe it.”
Chanli's Awesome Blog (Part of her latest entry)
I decided to write this blog because of my personal experience of a bad race at the State meet this year for track (actually the past 3 years). The worst feeling in the world is going into a huge race, ready to go, and once the race ends you didn’t race to your potential.
Want to read more? Check it out http://stopchan.wordpress.com/
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