Adel-DeSoto-Minburn Senior Cross Country Runner Carmen Schwalen is doing her best to build up the younger runners on the team into respectable women.

Schwalen tells Raccoon Valley Radio that she’s been battling hip issues throughout the season and the pain escalated in the Tigers’ meet in Newton on September 24th. Schwalen outlines that the course being uneven did not help with her injured hip, but comments that she is getting treated by medical personnel and hopes to be back running with her teammates sometime this season. Despite not be able to run, that hasn’t stopped Schwalen from inspiring the other girls on the team by offering kind words of encouragement, and emphasizing the value they have in the world.

“We really just work on women empowering other women, and always supporting each other. Some people get faster times than you do and that’s ok, we need to support everybody. I think that’s a life skill that they can really continue to have as they go into college and whatever else they might do. We’ve also worked a lot on like persistence and just sticking up for each other and knowing that like ‘yes,’ you can do hard things.”

Schwalen says that she loves the bus rides home after meets because it’s fun for her to hear different aspects from courses or the race itself that the other girls reflect on, plus Schwalen attempts to lift their spirits if they’re feeling down.

ADM is training for the next meet set in Fort Dodge this coming Thursday at the Lakeside Municipal Golf Course at 4pm.