LiveWell Louisiana

Winning Attitudes

High school sophomore Chelsey Jones has had to overcome a few setbacks to pursue her passion for running.
July 16th, 2014 by: Lianna Patch

High school sophomore Chelsey Jones has had to overcome a few setbacks to pursue her passion for running. This spring, the young athlete’s hard work paid off when she set a record in the 800-meter event, completing the run in just over two minutes, 12 seconds at the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Track and Field State Championships.

“I always wanted to break the state record,” says Jones, who also runs cross-country. “That’s what I’ve been training for since I started running. It felt really good, and I was proud of myself.”

The child of two runners, Jones began running at the age of nine. “My parents put me, and my brother and sister, in summer track, and that was my first time running,” she says. She liked the sport immediately for its personal challenges. “When I run a really good time, it makes me feel good about myself and finally achieving that goal,” she says.

However, the past two years of running have posed several physical challenges for Jones. “I had a bruised bone in my right knee, and then I had hip problems in both of my hips,” she says. “And then I had a stress fracture.” Despite having to sit out half of one cross-country season because of the fracture, she hasn’t slowed down.

The teenage runner plans to become a general surgeon, and has already picked her top three colleges: Oregon State University, Texas A&M University and the University of Florida. Naturally, all three schools have excellent track programs. 

Jones offers this advice to those who might like to achieve more confidence and break records of their own: “Just keep working hard. You should always push yourself to reach your goals. If you really set your mind to something, you can do it.”