"Post-Athlete Syndrome: College Runner Style" Podcast (KSS-782 Final Project)

Viral Sport Video (KSS-782)

This is one of my favorite viral sport videos. It is an older one but involves a collegiate track runner and is very inspirational so it will always be a favorite of mine. The video was taken at the 2008 Big Ten Indoor Track Championships. It was the final heat of the women’s 600-meter race. One of the four girls named Heather Dorniden from the University of Minnesota tripped and fell during the race at the 400-meter mark. She jumped right back up and sprinted to catch the rest of the runners in the final 200 meters of the race. She passed all of them right at the end to win the heat.

I think this video went viral because it is a very impressive race as well as incredibly inspirational. Heather didn’t quit when she fell. She got right back up, not to just finish the race, but to win the race. She knew her team needed the points in order to win the Women’s Team Champion title and she never gave up on herself. It is easy to give up and quit when you are down, but to get right back up and continue without hesitation shows true character.

I have been in a similar situation as Heather running in a National Championship race and the pressure and nerves are intense. You picture the race over and over again in your head and know exactly when you are going to change your pace, how you are going to cut in, what position you want to be in at certain points, and which competitors you need to beat. I can’t imagine how much a fall would mess with your physical and mental strategies in a race. Many videos go viral for the wrong reasons, but this is definitely one that deserves to go viral because of its positive message and the girl deserves the fame to go along with it.