Tiffany Costello has emerged as the City College’s cross country team’s top runner after battling pneumonia for nine months.
Costello was unsure if she would be able to compete in the team’s first race at Moorpark.
“I didn’t even know if I would be able to run,” said Costello, “but I’m back and stronger than ever.”
Courtesy Art from Dave Loveton of Tiffany Costello. Costello broke the record at the Moorpark Challenge on her first race with a time of 19:46.
Costello raced into her first-ever cross country season with a bang, enduring 100 degree heat to shatter the 5k course record at the Moorpark Challenge with a time of 19:46. Addressing her win, Costello said she just had to put her head down and focused on passing her opponents one at a time.
Costello was awarded athlete of the week by the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table for her performance at Moorpark. She has been the only City College cross country runner who has won the award.
Running has been an important part of her life for many years. Costello attended Tesoro High School where she ran track and played soccer. This is her first time running cross country after competing in long distance for the track team last spring.
She finished as runner up in the Western State Conference, Southern California Championships and the State Championships last season running the 10,000 meters in track. Costello hopes to finish this season top three in the state.
“I love the feeling I get from running,” she said.
She is currently working towards an associates degree in communications, but wants to continue her education and receive a degree in kinesiology. She said she hopes to pursue work as a physical therapist or dietician to help people be active and healthy in the same ways that she is passionate about.
She also wants to continue running because that is her true passion. She hopes to one day compete against the best distance runners in the world.
“I would love to run in the olympics in the 10k,” said Costello.
Her perseverance in difficult situations is something that shines through her abilities as a runner.
“She is able to never give up and go ahead of what she is given,” said Michel Cohen, one of Costello’s teammates.
Costello works to be the best runner that she can be. She has multiple trainers to help her with everything she needs to compete at a high level.
“She loves to run,” said Joseph Farias, one of Costello’s trainers. “Even when she’s racing I don’t think she thinks of it as a race. It’s just something she loves to do.”
Costello and the rest of the cross country runners will compete at 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 29 at the Western State Conference Preview at Bonelli Park in San Dimas.
