One Ball State Master’s student is running towards a goal with her eye on the prize.
For Sport and Exercise Psychology student Anna Farello, running gives her purpose.
“I’m just enjoying the wind and the weather, good or bad, and just kind of feeling like you have agency in the world. You are able to do something that most people can’t,” Farello said.
Farello has always been active throughout her life and used running as a way to supplement her other sports. She joined the cross country team in high school to cross train for soccer but quickly fell in love with the sport.
“When I first started running, I knew this was going to become a major part of my life,” Farello said.
She wasn’t wrong. While getting her master’s, she teaches a Jogging PFW and helps instill a passion for exercise in her students. Now, she’s using her passion to set new goals for herself.
“The goal for now is to qualify for the Olympic trials in Tokyo 2020,” Farello said.
The Olympic trials will take place in Atlanta, GA, and the trials are the preliminary competition to determine who will qualify for the Olympic team. Farello is putting in the work to make her goal a reality. She runs six days a week, plus does two-a-day workouts on the elliptical and then rests on Sunday. In total, she runs about 58 miles a week. She’s not tackling this goal alone, though. Farello works with Orey Smith, a remote coach in Colorado.
“We talk on the phone almost every day, and he tracks my times. Orey’s great at keeping me calm during workouts. A lot of times I get really worked up about it, and he’ll be like ‘it’s fine - just chill don’t worry too much about it’”, Farello said.
While the Olympics may be her goal right now, simply staying active is her lifelong commitment.
“I want to try other sports, and just whatever I’m doing when I’m 80, I want to be active,” Farello said.
In order to qualify for the trials, Farello plans to run one or two marathons with a fast enough time that will make her eligible.
