By: Amy Begley- Coach, Atlanta Track Club
There is typical path that most elite runners follow. They start with a successful high school career, move up to the collegiate level and then go professional. However, Christy Cazzola is living proof that not everyone has to follow that traditional path, and that great things can come from the road less traveled.
Christy is the newest member of Atlanta Track Club Elite, a group comprised of the Club’s top athletes who train together and represent the Club at local, regional and national races. She’s also an athlete who started her family first and then went back to school, where she returned to the world of competitive running.
In high school, Christy quickly showcased her talent by winning the state 800m title in Wisconsin as a freshman. It was the first of her many successes in track and cross country. But when Division I schools tried to recruit Christy, she wasn’t ready to head off to college.
Christy decided to postpone college and work at a restaurant. It was at that restaurant that she met her now-husband, Shuma Kuwamoto. They married and had two children, a boy and a girl. It was after this that Christy made the move to get a degree in secondary education – and start racing again.
At the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, Christy went on to become a five-time NCAA Division III record holder and 17-time national champion. After becoming a member of the Oiselle elite team, Christy joined Atlanta Track Club Elite. Next month, she will compete at the U.S. 5K Championships, hosted by the CVS Caremark Downtown 5K in Providence, Rhode Island. She also hopes to make the 2016 Olympic Team.
Christy took a different route than most runners, but she is a racer who is not afraid to work hard. Her speed and turnover are impressive, and it will be fun to see what she can do now that she’s in Atlanta. Her story is a good reminder that if you put in the work, you will see results at your next race, even if you didn’t take the common path to get there.
Amy Begley is the head coach of Atlanta Track Club, the second largest running organization in the United States. She competed in the 2008 Olympic Games in the 10,000M and placed sixth in the 2009 IAAF World Championships in the same distance with a personal best 31:13, making her the eighth-fastest American woman in history. Her 5,000M personal best is 14:56. Begley finished her professional career with six national titles.