Dedication. Grit. Perseverance. Work ethic.

What do these phrases have in common? 

If you’ve spent time in or around sports, you’ve probably heard these traits praised. You may have been told you have a “relentless work ethic,” are “very dedicated,” or “never give up.” These qualities can help you train, perform at your peak, and reach your athletic potential. At the same time, they can sometimes make it easier to hide significant struggle and pain.

Gracie Hyde competed in NCAA Division I, set an NCAA DII record, reached the semifinals of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials, and represented Team USA at the World Road Running Championships. It’s easy to describe Gracie as “hard-working”—and she certainly is—but she’s human, too. The truth is, “hard work” in life is not always measured by how much effort you devote to any one thing. 

Sometimes, the greatest demonstrations of “grit” and “perseverance” come from having the courage to write a life story that feels true to you—even if that means stepping away from one chapter and into something new. Hyde is living proof of that concept. 

The First Step (Back)

Hyde competed in Division I collegiate running at the University of Arkansas. For years, she struggled with an eating disorder and her mental health while balancing high-level college athletics. In early 2023, she reached out to her athletic trainer for help. She tried to fit mental health support into her already busy schedule, attending outpatient treatment for eight months while continuing to balance life as a D1 college athlete. When she decided to step away from collegiate running, she entered an inpatient facility to receive treatment for her eating disorder.

It’s easy to assume Gracie stepped away solely because of her eating disorder, but, as she shared with VIS via email, that wasn’t the whole story. Her decision also reflected a desire to protect her mental well-being and overall enjoyment of life.

“When I left [inpatient treatment], I was in a much better place physically and mentally than I had been in years,” she said. “I had more joy, more ease. I didn’t feel so depressed or anxious, but every time I thought of going back to my team and training, I felt that dread fill my body, and I realized I couldn’t go back.”

Leaving behind a part of her life that had been so central to her identity and story—both to herself and others—was a scary decision, especially since she was physically and mentally in a better place than she had been during earlier periods when she was still participating in sport.

Hyde weighed her options at length, worrying about letting herself and her support system—her family, friends, and coaches—down. 

“I wasn’t doing it because I wanted to or for my own goals; I was just chasing others' approval,” she said. “I think this was the point I realized I had fallen out of love with running. That is ultimately why I left the sport; I didn’t want to anymore.”

In the end, Hyde understood the right answer was the one that honored her most important values.

“I think after reaching rock bottom, feeling happiness again meant more to me, and I wasn’t willing to give it up,” she said. “I promised myself at that point I was only going to live my life for myself and do everything that excites me and nothing that didn’t, because at the end of the day it was my life, right?” 

“I think after reaching rock bottom, feeling happiness again meant more to me, and I wasn’t willing to give it up. I promised myself at that point I was only going to live my life for myself and do everything that excites me and nothing that didn’t, because at the end of the day it was my life, right?”

Gracie Hyde

Shifting Away From Quitting

Simply put, to “quit” means “to give up.” These four letters carry a heavy weight in sports, where “quitting” is often framed as failure, a sign that one was “too weak” or “lacked the resilience” to keep going. 

Hyde’s decision to step back from collegiate running showcased this narrative. She knew those around her would see her decision to hang up her running shoes for the time being as “quitting.” 

“When I decided to leave, I was okay with people saying I ‘quit.’ Honestly, at times I thought I did and never really planned to come back,” Hyde said. 

It did not come immediately, but Hyde eventually came to see beyond this version of her story. As she spent time away from the sport, she began to get to know herself outside of being a runner and an athlete, as a student and a daughter. Once she saw that perspective, Hyde said she no longer saw herself as a “quitter.” 

“[I] more so thought of it as “shifting”; running was what I did then, and I was quitting more when I was giving up on being happy than I ever was when I was leaving to find myself again,” Hyde said. 

Lacing Back Up

In October 2023, Hyde found herself presented with the opportunity to step back into the collegiate running world, this time at a different school and in a different division. She wasn't sure it was the right move, but she decided to try and began running for Division II Adams State. At first, she took it slow, focusing on enjoying the sport itself and only stepping up to the line to race again when she truly felt excited about the opportunity. 

This time around, “success” was defined by how running made Hyde feel, how it added joy and excitement to her life. 

“[Now] I don’t measure success by numbers or places in races,” she said. “I measure it by the opportunities I have created for myself and the joy I have training and competing to chase my goals.”

This redefinition only added to Hyde’s “success” in the traditional, results-oriented sense of the sport, as she went on to win multiple titles at the 2024 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championship in her first season back in collegiate running. 

Since then, Hyde has found more and more doors opening to her in the sport. She competed at the 2024 Olympic Trials and has had the opportunity to run for Team USA, but her central focus remains the same: “The goal isn’t to be perfect; the goal is to get better,” Hyde said. 

“I know I was lucky, and that many athletes won’t receive that support or may never feel comfortable enough to confide in anyone. So, if they’re struggling mentally or physically, I hope they find the strength to keep seeking help and stay open.”

Gracie Hyde

Power of VOICE

Up to 45% of girls and women in sport may be experiencing an active eating disorder, according to the National Eating Disorder Association. Around 30% of women student-athletes report anxiety, but only 10% of college-athletes with a mental-health condition seek professional help, the American College of Sports Medicine reports.  

“I know I was lucky, and that many athletes won’t receive that support or may never feel comfortable enough to confide in anyone,” Hyde said, regarding sharing her story. “So, if they’re struggling mentally or physically, I hope they find the strength to keep seeking help and stay open.”

“I hope my journey inspires not only other girls and women struggling with eating disorders, but really all female athletes to recognize that they can have fun and enjoy the sport.”

Hyde knows that by raising her voice and sharing her story in sport, she can help drive the change needed to ensure more athletes receive the support they need to find joy in life, whether through their competitive sport or in another way. It isn’t easy to speak openly about some of our most vulnerable challenges, but Hyde is willing to do so because she knows how many others are in the same situation she has been in. She wants to show them that it’s possible to turn the page to a happier, healthier, more joyful chapter.

The most important advice Hyde hopes to share with those who hear her story is this: “Chase joy and love in what you do instead of chasing approval and validation, and success will come in a way that will be so much more fulfilling.”