Written and Media by Andrew Sharp
Have you ever played a sport? If you have, then you know about getting in shape and going through conditioning to be better at that sport. Imagine doing your sport while injured–not too bad, right? Wrong. Now also imagine your sport being every sport’s punishment. This is the harsh reality for Jordie File.
Running: the sheer sound of it can make athletes cringe. But not File; she takes everything that is thrown at her stride-for-stride. File, who is all about running, has conquered many obstacles to be in her current position, including a surgery and an unknown abdominal issue. The Panthers Cross Country team, which File is a part of, is the defending champion of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. They have been training hard all summer and battling injury among some key parts of the team.
Jordie File, one of the top recruits in the 2014 class, had a rough injury history during her time at Greenville, along with some mental strain. File had one surgery while at Greenville, but she stayed strong and continued to compete to the best of her ability. File didn’t skip a beat on her long road to recovery. While being out of action she has found other ways to support the Panthers and stay in shape for when she can return full-time. She took on the role of a manager to stay involved with the team and the sport she loves the most, all while biking and swimming on her own time outside of practices.
If you love playing a sport, you understand that at some point in time you will not be able to play at your peak performance. For File, this came too soon. After having surgery on her hip and experiencing an abdominal pain due to nerves, she is on the brink of being completely healthy. A runner must be strong and determined, and with that said, she is no exception to the rule.
File has the determination to stick with a sport that has been taken away from her. For her to do this is something that every coach wants to find in the athletes on their team. With a slight pain and fighting spirit, she is ready to start running again and will cap off her third year running for the Panthers. File is making her transition back into full-time running, having competed in her first two meets of the year. In the first meet of the year, File completed the four-kilometer course in 17 minutes and 12 seconds (17:12.2), finishing 13th overall. She was the fifth Panther to cross the line on Friday evening. File remained strong the following week as she stayed in the fifth position for the Panthers, completing the six-kilometer course in 21 minutes and 57 seconds (21:57.8), securing a solid start to her season.
Looking into the future, what can be said for File? You can count on her to suit up for one more year, having red-shirted a year, she saved her eligibility and will return for a fifth semester to compete for the last time as a Panther.
