The blistering sun, aching knees and need to throw up in races is surpassed by Coppell freshman Finleigh Sanders-Burk desire to run.
“Every time I run, I feel like the passion grows,” Sanders-Burk said.
To Sanders-Burk, running is not just a hobby, it is a lifestyle.
Despite being a freshman, Sanders-Burk is one of the top three runners in Coppell cross country for the 2025 season. Her passion to run comes from her idea of success: persevering through mental obstacles.
“It’s definitely a mental challenge showing up to practice in the morning every single day and pushing myself to keep running and stay committed,” Sanders-Burk said. “I would say the thing that drives me is the idea of meeting my future goals.”
Sanders-Burk first started running for the Coppell Middle School North cross country team in seventh grade, when her coaches prompted her to join after seeing her potential when she was conditioning for volleyball.
“All of my seventh grade and the majority of my eighth grade, I consistently placed pretty well, but I never won a meet,” Sanders-Burk said. “But in our district meet for eighth grade I ended up winning, so that was one of my motivating factors to continue cross country. The adrenaline and happiness I felt was very motivating. I wanted to feel this feeling again. I wanted to be successful.”
Her passion is portrayed through her running times. On Sept. 6 at the Southlake Carroll Invitational meet, she ran the 5K course in 19:14 in the varsity race. On Aug. 15 at Hebron Friday Night Hawk Invitational, she timed 12:38 for two miles.
Sanders-Burk’s times are an inspiration to freshman teammates.
“She’s leading by example, with the team. For freshmen it’s hard for them to be real vocal leaders,” Coppell cross country coach Wren said. “But her success drives others to follow her footsteps.”
In addition to cross country, Sanders-Burk is part of the Coppell girls soccer team.
“Finleigh being a multisport athlete helps her with a mindset of staying competitive, helping her in the team aspect of cross country,” Wren said.
However, her competitive mindset does not hinder her relationship with her teammates.
“She’s always positive and constantly lifts others up,” junior runner Pragna Vykuntum said. “Her spirit is, in some manner, infectious and pushes others to be better.”
Sanders-Burk hopes to continue running after high school.
“I really want to keep staying with it because I feel much more confident, healthy, proud and just overall happier,” Sanders-Burk said.
Throwing up and aching knees won’t stop Sanders-Burk. Her run to success has just begun.
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