Freshman Olivia Wrobel was the fastest runner on the women's cross country team this season, taking 10th overall in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference championship. However, there was a time when she could barely walk after a major surgery and had to battle back. Here's her story.

In the summer of seventh grade, I had spinal fusion surgery because I had scoliosis, and my spine was closely representing the shape of an 's.' It would've caused severe pain when I was older. Surgery was the best option for me.

I was an athlete at the time. It was the beginning of eighth grade. I had been in cross country since sixth grade but wasn't allowed to participate my last year.

It took me about a year and a half to fully bounce back since it was major surgery. It really shocked my body since there was a lot of change done to my back.

Recovery was the most painful thing I've been through. It was the toughest year of my life. I had to go back to square one and learn the basics like walking and sitting. My family helped me a ton to try and make me conformable throughout recovery. I am so thankful for them.

It placed a great setback on my running since I couldn't even walk without help for a while. Knowing there is a rod in my back was something I had to get use too and learn/accommodate to. I have to be more aware of how I run so there are no injuries, such as not being able to lift more than 40 lbs., which creates an issue for cross training and working out. Mentally, I thought I would never be able to run like I did in previous years. It was a fear of mine that my back would be in pain when I would run, or it would be too much for my body to take with all the stress.

This has really shaped my life because it really taught me that in difficult situations you can always get through it, and that the struggle will only help in the future. Whether it's sports or my personal life, I know I can get through difficult situations because of what my back surgery put me through. This goes toward my mental health since I was in self-doubt and felt so dependent on others. It also taught me to value the people in my life. If it wasn't for my family, I don't think it would've been as easy to recover.

Now, I run for an even greater purpose. Knowing that I've been given a second chance to do what I love, wanting to do better for myself and not letting this chance slip away means everything to me.