Athlete of the Week: Alexis Cullen

Braden River High senior cross-country runner Alexis Cullen finished third in 21:37.62 to help lead the Lady Pirates to a third-place finish at the Bradenton Runner’s Club Invitational Sept. 15. It was Cullen’s second consecutive third-place finish.

What was your reaction when you finished third for the second straight week?
I was really happy. I tried to get off to a really fast start.

Why do you think you’ve seen so much success early on this season?
Definitely because of the summer practices. I did a lot of miles, about 300, over the summer.

How did you get into cross-country?
I’ve been running since sophomore year. I ran cross-country in middle school. I took freshman year off because of injuries, but I wanted to get back into it.

What do you enjoy the most about cross-country?
The challenge. I love challenging myself. I also love being with the team. We have a great team bond.

What’s the toughest part about cross-country?
The mental aspect of it. You know you can do it — it’s just getting the mental aspect. At races, I get nervous. You (can’t) think about it. You just have to run your own race.

Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?
A psychologist. I just love studying the human mind. It’s very interesting.

Who is your biggest role model?
My mom. She is a very strong person, and she always has a great attitude toward everything.

If you could try another sport for a day, what would it be?
Rowing. I watched it on the Olympics, and I thought it was really cool. They don’t offer it at my school, though, and I wish they did.

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Sydney. I think it’s an exotic place, and it looks really neat.

What’s your favorite dessert?
A brownie with vanilla ice cream.

What was your favorite cartoon show growing up?
“Rugrats.” I liked Tommy. I always watched it.