Senior Matilda Smart is wrapping up her final year at M-A after four years on the cross country team and three on track and field. As this is her final season running for the Bears, Smart is soaking in every moment.
Smart credits her love for running back to her childhood in London, where she ran through Hyde Park with her mom. “My mom was a runner in high school,” she said. “It was just a nice family bonding activity.” Smart continued running after moving back to the U.S. in fifth grade, joining Girls on the Run.
Smart’s early mentors left a lasting impression. Coach Scott Paterson, who now leads Run Club Menlo Park, was one of her earliest and most enthusiastic supporters, helping shape her relationship with the sport. “Coach Scott was definitely a very loud supporter,” she said.
When Smart joined the M-A cross-country team as a freshman, she found the experience both exciting and daunting. “The teammates were very intimidating, but also kind,” she said. “They had the bar set very high, and you rise to meet their standards.” After two years on the JV team, Smart moved up to varsity junior year, and Smart qualified for the state championship at the end of that year. “I didn’t think I would be on the varsity team running at State,” she said. “So that was really cool that I was there.”
While a junior on varsity, Smart’s success came not individually, but in a major team milestone. “We made it to states, both teams, and I was really proud,” Smart said.
Smart found the mental side of the sport to be her biggest challenge. She had to teach herself how to balance ambition with self-care. Unlike many of her teammates, she has managed to avoid major injuries, something she does not take for granted. “I haven’t had any major injuries, which is super lucky, because so many people on the team get injured,” she said.
Learning how to practice without crossing the line into danger is something every runner has to figure out over time. Going too hard risks injury or burnout, but easing up too much means not pushing yourself to be better, and finding that middle ground is something Smart has been working on for years. “You can’t push yourself too much, or else you’ll get injured or burnt out, or just be so hard on yourself mentally,” she said.
With senior night behind her, Smart is determined to enjoy what time she has left with her teammates. She plans to keep running in college through club or intramural programs, but for now, she is focusing on the present moment. “I’m just happy to still be running with my teammates,” she said.
Smart’s piece of advice as she wraps up her final year at M-A: “Embrace the uncertainty of joining a new team and, past the anxiety, you meet so many amazing people that make it worth every butterfly in your stomach.”
