With chalk dusted on her hands, beads of sweat dripping down her head and a defiant smile pasted on her face, Coppell senior Izzy Ortigoza flipped her way through most of her childhood on bars and beams. 

But by the end of seventh grade, after struggling with mental blocks, gymnastics took a sharp turn for her.

Instead of withdrawing from sports as a whole, Ortigoza swiftly switched from gymnastics to cross country, using her talents as a gymnast as a basis to develop as a runner. 

Ortigoza started running cross country in eighth grade at Coppell Middle School North, immediately after taking a break from gymnastics.

“[Gymnastics] just became too much,” Ortigoza said. “I got a lot of mental blocks and it was too mentally draining so I eventually just quit and joined running. The day seventh grade was done, I started cross country. Both of my parents [David and Monica Ortigoza] are very big runners, so I wanted to feel connected with my parents.”

The switch between these two seemingly unrelated sports may have been hard for others, but Ortigoza’s physical strength from seven years as a gymnast helped her acquire a strong basis as a runner. 

“In gymnastics, we do so much conditioning and you get really strong, so that base muscle has always stayed with me,” Ortigoza said. 

Gymnastics, as well as being very physically demanding, requires mental fortitude. The internal thoughts that occur in a gymnast during their routine can make or break  their performance. Through gymnastics, Ortigoza was able to strengthen her mentality, assisting her during her journey through cross country.

“Running is a very mental sport, even though you may not think about it [like that],” Ortigoza said. “All you have to do when you’re running is think. You have to be very strong mentally to be able to push through the pain of running six miles and running in a 5K race.”

Throughout high school, Ortigoza’s enthusiasm for running has only increased. She recently finished her final meet as a high schooler, yet she continues attending practices, which are optional now. Her passion for cross country is shown through her dedication and willingness to help underclassmen during practice.

“[Over the years] she has become a supportive teammate who’s been able to work alongside people and care about the girls [in cross country],” Coppell senior runner Avery Hancock said. “I would give her the title of the ‘mom’ of the team. [She] keep[s] up with the girls, making sure they understand the training, how to eat healthily, how to hydrate properly and [more]. She definitely is one of the team leaders.”

Ortigoza’s leadership role extends past cross country. Though she took an extended break for five years, she returned to gymnastics as a senior with a different role. Currently, Ortigoza coaches aspiring gymnasts at Texas Dreams Gymnastics. 

“[Ortigoza] is dedicated as a coach,” Coppell junior and fellow gymnastics coach Mary Roach said. “If she wants her kids to get somewhere, they will get somewhere because she won’t give up on them. [With Ortigoza], they can learn and laugh at the same time. [Even] when she was a gymnast, she was one of the leaders of the group. She has always been a leader and she’s always been someone to look up to for any other teammate or kids.”

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