Passion

Peter Fox Smith

Women's Cross-Country (1977-1992)

When I came for my recruitment visit, I was unsure of my running because I'd just injured my hip. Peter Fox Smith said, "If you're injured when you come, that's fine. If you're not injured when you come, that's fine, too. Whatever state you're in, we'll take you and work with you." I had been a high school New England champion. He knew I could put enough pressure on myself.

He drove me around Hanover and showed me where the team trained. But he also said, "Look! There's the river, and there's where the outing club is! And lookwe have a really wonderfullibrary!" He seemed excited about everything, not just running. During that visit I made up my mind about where I wanted to go to college.

I was red shirted my freshman year. I was frustrated and in pain the entire time. Peter Fox Smith sensed this, and became a sort of friend beyond coach. He made me feel a part of the team, made sure I knew of all the team meetings, extended his office hours to all times of the day. He'd say, "I'm sure you're doing well with your rehabilitation. Keep it up. That's great. But let's talk about something else. What's going on in your life? " He said, "You know what I have going for me outside of Dartmouth College? Outside of myjob}" And he told me all about his love for opera, and his opera program on the radio. He was trying to find out what moved me, what excited me beyond running. He was trying to fire up my passion. That was more important than competing.

I fell in love with the theater. My sophomore fall I had the lead in the drama department's mainstage play, The MasterBuilder. I invited Peter Fox Smith to come and see me, even though I wasn't running for him any more. He said, "Of course I'll come and see you! I wouldn't dream of missing it!" The night he was there, I peeked through the curtain from backstage, and I saw him sitting in the front row. I had a devil of a job keeping my concentration. To have someone I looked up to come and be my audience made me feel so proud. I think he was proud of me, too, that I had finally overcome the pain of the injury, that I'd discovered something I was truly passionate about. That night was the first time I ever performed for him.

I'm running competitively again now. When I told Peter Fox Smith he said, "Oh, that's wonderful! I'm glad to hear that you are having a good time. As for me, I don't pay as much attention to how fast one can put one's foot in front of the other. But I care very much that you are doing something you enjoy."

Even today, he's the first person I think of whenever I hear opera.

"He wastrying to findout what movedme, whatexcited mebeyondrunning."

she helped mereach fartherwithin than I ever hadbefore."