By Derrick Smith

There can be hurdles that pop up in the life of an athlete. This could be an unexpected health issue, an injury, or something off the field. How the athlete handles this situation will tell their coaches a lot about what kind of athlete they truly are. 

Rachel Caldwell is a junior at Piedmont High School and she is also enrolled in the Biomedical Sciences program at Canadian Valley Tech. She enjoys being a part of the program and it is helping her get ready for the future.

Caldwell has dealt with asthma since she was young, but she has not let it hold her back from competing in what she loves to do. 

“A lot of people probably don’t realize that I have asthma,” she said. “I have had asthma ever since I was little. It definitely bothered me a lot. But ever since I started running, it actually helped to build my lungs and make them stronger.”

Caldwell runs track and cross country for the Wildcats. She says that while running sounds easy, there is a lot of preparation involved.

“It has taken a lot of hard work and dedication for me to get where I am today,” she said. “You have to sacrifice a lot for running but it is all worth it in the end.”

Though her life has been touched by different people over the years, she says that there is one person that has made the biggest impact. 

“Most people would probably expect my role model to be a runner or some kind of athlete,” she said. “But my real role model is my grandpa. He is such a strong Christian and sacrifices everything for my family. Someone else that influenced my life would have to be my coach. He is more of your best friend than your coach. He has taught me to always work hard and to never give up. He is always encouraging and pushing me and my teammates to do our best.”

While Rachel does not have a specific highlight moment that she can point to, she say that each and every day is a new highlight.
“Every day creates a new set of memories,” she said. “Whether it be getting a medal at a race or making new friends. One of my favorite things at meets is whenever we all get together and pray as a giant group.”