Galvin sisters keep pace

By: Stew Corbett

Anna and Sarah Galvin

Runners find encouragement in a lot of different places. They have family and friends off on the sideline as well as their teammates running right beside them. But two runners on the STU cross country team have the best of both worlds.

Anna and Sarah Galvin are both wrapping up their second season as members of the STU cross country team. Anna has returned for a fifth year after completing her Bachelor of Arts and is currently enrolled in the social work programme. Sarah is in her second year and has not declared a major for her BA but wants to eventually go into education. Both sisters cite their mother as being the main reason for starting to run.“We were kids and we saw her running with cross country. She’s also done a lot of marathons and Ironmans so I guess that kind of sparked it.” Says Anna.

“She was my coach in high school so she kept me motivated. She’s pretty much the reason I run as well.” Says Sarah.

Sarah has been the seasoned runner having done both cross country and track and field in high school. Anna, on the other hand, had a very unique and more exotic beginning to her running career.

“I didn’t start running until last year when I came home from Africa actually,” explains Anna. “I could never really get into running. Apart of that was because I was a little bit heavier but once I lost that weight when I was in Guinea I was able to run really easily.”

The sisters enjoy running together to help pace each other but also enjoy keeping each other motivated, even if motivation turns itself into a little bit of sibling rivalry.

“I remember one time last year when I didn’t want to go for a run I was lying in bed and she came over anyway and tore the blankets off and called me a lazy slob.” Recalls Anna as both girls laugh.

Anna thinks you can be more personal and can push further as a running buddy if it’s someone you’re related too because you can say things you normally wouldn’t even say to a close friend or teammate. But at the end of the day, you still have to love them, says Anna.

Despite the intense competition, Sarah says getting up for a run will be a bit harder without her sister when the time comes that the two can no longer be teammates.

“I’ll be losing a little bit of motivation and my best friend; my sister,” says Sarah. “We spend a lot of time together so it’ll be harder to make it to practice for sure.”