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After not being able
to play lacrosse for over 14 months due to injury, now former women’s lacrosse
goalie Jennifer Schulze finally got her first chance to really compete in
something. This competition had nothing
to do with lacrosse—it was all about walking.
While in Sneem,
Ireland, Schulze participated in the JFK 50 Mile Challenge on Sat., May 26. She
completed the walk in less than 18 hours with absolutely no training at all,
while others in the walk had trained for months.
Schulze has been
unable to play lacrosse for the Robert Morris women’s team since she sustained
a concussion over a year ago. She was
only back for a week when on April 11 she sustained her second concussion in
less in a month.
She was medically
disqualified in January 2012 and wasn’t medically cleared by her doctor until
April 13. Before leaving for Ireland,
she was able to work out just five times and her last workout came last week
when she ran by herself.
“I actually didn’t even find out about the walk until we
were in the Pittsburgh airport on Tuesday,” said Schulze during the walk. “At first I thought it had something to do
with walking around the JFK airport.”
Schulze is in Sneem,
Ireland completing her last three credits of her undergraduate degree on the
photography study abroad program with Professor Christine Holtz. She never expected to find herself in the
position to participate in the walk.
“I said I wanted to
try everything at least once, so I knew I wanted to make it as far as I could,”
said Schulze.
Although it proved
to be quite a challenge, she said that she would do it all over again in a
heartbeat.
“I would without a
doubt do this again. It was such an
amazing experience and I made such awesome friends along this journey,” said
Schulze. “Even if I knew how taxing it
was going to be, I would do it all over again, because everything I’ve just
endured was definitely worth it.”
Although the event
has only taken place in Sneem for two years, Schulze became the first American
to finish all 50 miles of the event.
Overall, 162 people walked in this year’s event and 118 people,
including Schulze, finished.
- written by Brooke Smith, special to RMUColonials.com
(Photo Credit: Christine Holtz)
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