Getting to Know Rebeka Stowe!!

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I reveived an email a few weeks back from a Rebeka Stowe. Now i consider myself a Kansas Track & Field enthusiast and fairly knowledgable on the happening of Track and Field. But I will admit i am a football coach and I am not as knowledgeable on Cross Country, but i am making strides and will fix that.

Anyway, when Rebeka emailed me and explained who she was and what she was doing i was pumped. Rebeka wanted to get back to her roots of a midwest girl (young lady) and share her experiences with the rest of Kansas she also wanted to get back into contact with Kansas track organizations as well as coaches. Well let me be the first to say Ks.milesplit.com is NOT GOING TO SAY NO TO A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE.

Now Kansas has had more famous professionals in all sports but in the less glamorous world of track & field alot of people dont know who the lesser known names are. Sure we all know Maurice Greene and Jim Ryan but google female professional track athletes from Kansas and the list is VERY short. Well we have one in Rebeka Stowe and she wants to be a part of Ks.milesplit.com 

So for our inaugural article this will be a "get to know" 

Starting in a few weeks we will then hit a weekly blog from Rebeka and run it through the winter and hopefully spring and summer called Rebeka Stowe "Away" a blog of a midwest professional track athlete.

So without further ado Rebeka Stowe.

Twitter & Instagram: @rebekastowe

My name is Rebeka Stowe. I am a sunflower state native, daughter, dreamer, music lover, and runner among other things; who is currently on an adventure filled journey to become the best I can be, in every area of life.

I grew up in Olathe, KS and attended Olathe Northwest High School, where I competed in multiple sports as well as participated in both Jazz and Concert band. After graduating in 2008 I was provided the opportunity to continue my running career in Lawrence, KS at the University of Kansas. My time at Kansas, as a student athlete was full of new friendships, experiences, challenges and a lot of fun. I completed my athletic career as a Jayhawk at the 2012 Olympic Trials. This experience paired with a lifelong dream of becoming a professional athlete and Olympian spurred me on and landed me in New Jersey. Which is where I currently reside and train with the New Jersey New York Track Club (www.njnytc.com).

How did you get started running?

My mom actually ran throughout her pregnancy (if that counts), but I have been running since I could walk. My mom actually said the more I could move as a child the happier kid I became. My mom has run my entire life so I remember going to the track with her 2 or 3 times a week, running laps, riding my bike or dribbling a soccer ball while she ran herself. I officially started running track in 7th grade competing in the mile.

When did you get serious?

I was serious from 7th grade. Granted I took Kindergarten soccer seriously, so taking competition seriously is in my make up. I didn’t really consider myself a runner until junior year of High School. Up until that point I thought I was going to have a longer career as a soccer player.

What was running like in general at ONW?

Running at ONW was a very fun experience.  I remember we did a lot of hill workouts prepping for Rim Rock. I didn’t do a lot of mileage, primarily because Coach Barnes was trying to work around my having to leave for Fall Club soccer and games 2-4 days a week in addition to practice. I appreciate this flexibility a lot looking back because it allowed me to not overdo running mentally and physically too early on.  Granted, the national running culture has changed drastically since then with many high school graduates running well enough to be immediately competitive at the national level.

How were you recruited to KU?

I started getting letters from colleges my Junior year and I filled out questionnaires to send back to all of the schools I was interested in. I believe KU was one of those. The coach at the time, Doug Clark, started calling me when the official contact period began. I personally had decided that I wanted to stay within a 3hr range of Olathe so I could be close to home. I narrowed it down to Kansas & Iowa State and ultimately just could see myself at Kansas more comfortably overall. [I took official visits to Kansas, Iowa State, Nebraska, K-State, & Drake]

Why KU?

My official visit to Kansas was incredibly impressive, from facilities to academic support to the gear we would get. My high school rival and friend, Amanda Miller (Besler) had chosen Kansas the previous year and that definitely had some pull. Having her around on my visit made me feel like I could be more myself, which allowed me to have a more authentic experience on my visit. Ultimately, I just felt like KU was where I was supposed to be. Rock Chalk.

What was the adjustment to college running like?

This transition took me about a year. I had to learn how to manage time with class, practice, tutoring, social life, eating etc. So many things changed and it was definitely an adjustment but the team and it’s leaders encouraged and helped us freshman work through things. Running wise it was tough to go from being at the top of the state to racing mid-pack and not feeling like I made a direct contribution to the team. This transition is a learning experience and it is different for everyone, but I believe that it was a time where I had to choose what I was going to be most committed to and it made my investment in the sport more personal. Thankfully, I had help from friends and family in this.

How did you get started in the steeplechase?

I started running the Steeplechase my freshman year. I had inconsistently been in the top 7 of our XC team and then failed to make the travel team for indoor track. I was yearning for a way to contribute to the team as well as find my role. No one on our team was going to run the steeple and I thought I might just be athletic enough to give it a shot. Coach Clark gave me a chance at the event and I got to travel to outdoor Big 12’s with the team. I tried to qualify for the USA Junior Championships that summer in the steeplechase but my times were not fast enough. I was able to get into the 1500 and make the final at the USA Junior Champs and that experience ignited my fire and drive to train the following summer. Many changed occurred from my freshman to sophomore year, including a new coach and I ended up jumping from a PR of 11:30 to 10:03 in a year’s time. 

College training compared to NJ*NYTC?

It is pretty intense, and I am constantly chasing. We workout 3 times a week, 1 long run and then 2-3 days of easy recovery runs. I Training is more of the priority,

What do you like about the east coast?

Endless new experiences!

What do you miss about Kansas?

The people and open spaces.

Pets: We had a chocolate lab named Coco growing up, and my mom still has our cat, Singer. A couple of my best friends have boxers and I want to get a puppy but am having to impatiently wait on that.

Favorite TV Shows:  The Office, Scandal, Nashville, New Girl

Music on my Ipod: A mix of everything from Frozen’s Let It Go to Empire State of Mind by Jay Z.  Some of my favorite bands include NeedtoBreathe, Ben Howard, Judah & The Lion, Foster the People, most all country.

Favorite Foods: Yes. Just not celery.