People, including myself, often wonder what the day of a student-athlete in the SEC looks like. While many wish to live this “luxury” that only a select few are able to attain, the triumphant victories that Auburn fans have become accustomed to are not without extreme sacrifice and dedication from those who get to perform the sport they love wearing the orange and blue.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Presley Miles, a distance runner for the Auburn track team, and hear her testimony as to what she does on a daily basis to maintain her athletic and academic prowess. When talking with Miles, I quickly realized that the once dreamt of aspiration I had to play a college sport was in no way possible after hearing her daily schedule.
Miles holds herself to a rule: she must get at least nine hours of sleep daily, tagging herself as a “grandma.” While this statement jarred a smirk and chuckle from myself, I soon realized why being a grandma was probably for the best. Miles typically wakes up around 7:00am and begins a vigorous stretching routine, followed by a quick breakfast. She then makes her way to campus to begin class for the day. Following her studies, she walks to the Wellness Kitchen, Auburn’s dining hall for student-athletes, where she has lunch with her running group, self-proclaiming themselves as the “Soul Sisters.” After a quick lunch of protein and carbs, the Soul Sisters make their way to the training facility where they undergo pre-practice training including heat therapy and rolling out their muscles.
While most would need the nine hours of sleep Miles gets each night by this point in her day, her day has just begun. Following training, she heads to the practice facility to begin her running regiment. While practice times are strict, she utilizes her time on the track to better herself in order to compete with the best in the country in her race, the 800 meter. When practice ends, she takes advantage of all recovery opportunities to ensure her body stays in competition shape. After her recovery, she typically heads back to the wellness kitchen to grab a quick meal before she heads home for the day to wind down and do homework; if you want to call that “winding down.”
While Miles is grateful for the opportunity to play the sport she loves, she realizes that it has come with extreme sacrifice. Whether it be skipping social events because of the risk of catching an illness that would prohibit her from competing or studying less than she would like for a big exam to catch up on some much needed sleep, she acknowledges that “a lot is given up with being a student-athlete.”
When asked what keeps her grounded with a schedule as rigorous as hers, Miles credited her family and friends for being there for her when she needs it. She continued to say that “these four years have been nothing but sacrifice” and she couldn’t have accomplished everything she has without the support of her family, her friends and her Lord.
As prestigious as it is to be an athlete for a top university such as Auburn, it comes with its impediments. No successful life exists without sacrifice and I am confident that Miles’ assiduity now will lead her to a life of success later.
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