Here at Winter Springs High School, Mackenzie Czurak, 10^th grade, holds the fastest time to run a mile in under five minutes. She has been running since she was in sixth grade. Czurak found her love for track when she was training for tennis but quit in 8th grade to pursue her interest in track. When going into high school, she joined the track team and began to win trophies during her sophomore year.

Czurak comes from a very athletic family; her mother was a gymnast, and her father and brother are also runners. She finds her brother, Justin Czurak, a senior at WSHS, an inspiration because he helps her with track and encourages her to keep a “positive mindset.” Czurak knows she will “do [her] best” in a race if she “focus[es] on [her]self and not the competition.”

For Czurak, training is a daily endeavor and contains speed-work, long distance running, and a healthy lifestyle. Two days before a race, Czurak eats steak; the night before, she eats pasta; and on the day of the big race, she eats a bagel—nothing too heavy to slow her down.

Keeping up with both her sport and school can be difficult; however, her dedication pays off.

Recently, Czurak won Bob Hayes, a track race in Jacksonville. But her biggest accomplishment is getting 6^th place in “The Pepsi Florida Relays,” a race in which the top girl runners of Florida and Georgia, including Czurak, compete.

“Winning such a victory is a confidence booster,” said Czurak. “[It] gets you ready for the next races to compete in like regionals and states where your training and what you eat really matters.”

Make sure to congratulate and cheer on Mackenzie as she wins more races!