Member Monday - Keaton Wallace, Class of 2021

Happy Monday! We hope everyone enjoyed Miles for Smiles and all the amazing Wellness Week events that took place last week. To keep the wellness momentum going, we are featuring Keaton Wallace, a D2 who was on the track team at Troy University before coming to dental school at UAB. 

​Keaton has been running track and cross-country since she was in middle school. She participated in many sports before trying the track team. “I have my mom to thank for getting me into track,” explains Keaton. “I did gymnastics and a few other sports but my mom really wanted me to try track. I wasn’t sure I would like it but after joining the team in eighth grade, I realized I’d found my sport.” From there, Keaton went on to run track in high school and got recruited by several schools. She fell in love with Troy when she went to visit and ended up receiving a scholarship to run for their team. 

Keaton says her favorite memory from being on the track/cross country team at Troy was all of the close friendships she made and the high level of intensity in competition. “It was an amazing feeling when all of my hard work from practice showed through at the end of the week in our races,” says Keaton. “Having all my closest friends with me through every practice and race, working hard and getting better together definitely made for the greatest memories over the four years!”

Running is a great stress reliever as well as a great way to get exercise. While Keaton is much busier now that she is in dental school, she says she does her best to run as often as she can. “I still try to run at least 3-4 times a week,” says Keaton. “School definitely gets busy, but sometimes a good run is an awesome stress reliever during a crazy week!” Keaton also uses running as a way to connect and build new friendships with her classmates. She frequently runs in the Trak Shak 5K each week and also ran alongside her classmates this past Saturday in the Miles for Smiles 5K. These are two events that anyone in the school can be a part of and are an excellent way to get some exercise. ​

Keaton with fellow classmates and Dr. Broome after a great Trak Shak run

"Working hard and getting better together definitely made for the greatest memories over the four years!”

Keaton (back row, center) and her teammates all smiles at a meet

Anyone can run! All it takes is a little motivation and a positive attitude. Keaton’s advice for anyone who wants to start running is “to just get out there and run! Take it day by day, set goals and increase your distance and pace when you feel ready.”

​Thanks for reading!

Author: Kelsey Gwin, Class of 2021