She feels a rush of adrenaline as she takes her place on the starting line. The pistol goes off and with a rush of movement, the race begins.

Freshman Vivian McMahon has been running since the 3rd grade. But, running competitively wasn’t on her agenda until the 6th grade when she joined the Cambridge Jets Running Club and started going to more meets.

Once she got to the high school, McMahon quit her club team and joined girls cross country.

McMahon credits the support of her teammates for her growth as a runner.

“Whether it’s before, after or during a race they’re always cheering you on and encouraging you especially if you are nervous,” McMahon said. “They’re always there to comfort you and just tell you that you’re ready for the race.”

According to McMahon, she looks forward to going to practice everyday.

“The best part about track is being able to spend time with my teammates and being able to compete in a sport I love,” McMahon said.

According to sophomore Sasha Whittaker, a close friend of McMahon, McMahon is extremely hardworking and it pays off during races.

“I think she’s a very strong runner who has a lot of confidence and I think that she races very well,” Whittaker said. “Also, all of her effort during practice really affects that.”

According to Whittaker, McMahon knows she is capable of competing at a high level.

“She’s very good and she pushes herself a lot and she pushes us. She knows how to listen to her body and she knows what pace to go at,” Whittaker said.

Senior Mary Corcoran, a captain of the cross country team, says that running together has closely bonded the two.

“We are really close because we have that shared experience and it’s such a unique experience,” Corcoran said. “There’s a lot of working together for an individual sport and I think that’s what brings people together.”

According to Corcoran, McMahon is an excellent runner, and a supportive teammate.

“She has a lot of natural talent and I think it’s really impressive how hard she works,” Corcoran said. “She’s a great teammate and the most important thing about her is she always puts her team first.”

Running has had a lasting effect on McMahon.

“It plays a very big part in my life just because it helps me balance out my time. It gives me something to do in my free time and it allows me to spend time with my friends and not get distracted,” McMahon said. “It keeps me on the right track.”