MUN cross country standout balances training and medical school studies
By Corey LeBlanc
Jade Roberts is always on the run, even when she isn’t racing.
The third-year student-athlete with the Memorial University Sea-Hawks cross country program usually starts her day with–as you may have guessed–a run.
“I am usually out the door between 5:30 and 5:40,” she says of her early-morning start.
That’s only the beginning of a hectic daily schedule that includes training, attending classes and then–most evenings–plenty of studying and completing assignments. On top of that, the third-year student in MUN’s School of Medicine takes nursing shifts to help pay for her studies.
“It takes a lot of sacrifice,” Roberts offers when asked about how she juggles her busy routine. She notes that–more often than not–it is her social life that must take a back seat. “But, it’s all been worth it,” she adds.
Toeing the line
Roberts' path to athletic and academic excellence has been a marathon rather than a sprint, one that began in Twillingate–a small coastal town along the world-famous Iceberg Alley–more than five hours away from the Newfoundland capital of St. John’s.
“I was a big athlete,” she says. She participated in countless sports, including baseball, basketball and gymnastics. She even won a national silver medal as a figure skater. Roberts adds, with a laugh, of her hometown, “If you played any [sports], you played them all.”
Although there was a cavalcade of athletic opportunities, she notes that running was not one of them. Her introduction to the sport came when her uncle–a teacher whose school was a couple of hours away from Twillingate – encouraged her to join its program.
“Sure, I will try it,” she remembers of deciding to toe the line. That started her relationship with a sport where she now excels.
“It was something different for me,” Roberts says of what attracted her to running, “it helped clear my mind. And, because of the nature of the sport, she notes that it was “easy to do.”
After graduating from high school, Roberts enrolled in the nursing program at MUN. Although she competed in races, she decided not to join the Sea-Hawks cross country program; she wanted to focus on her studies, along with the move to the “big city.”
By her final year, she had a change of heart–one encouraged by legendary Sea-Hawk cross country head coach and mentor Art Meaney, who made his pitch to Roberts after seeing her compete in a local race. She remembers not only improving immensely–benefitting from having the opportunity to run with “seasoned” athletes–but also developing a deeper understanding of the sport.
“It is more than just running as an individual – it is such an incredible team sport,” Roberts offers of one of those lessons learned as a first-time Sea-Hawk. She adds, “I was just doing things on my own – there is so much more to it than just putting on your sneakers and going out for a run.”
Roberts also gained greatly from the “expertise and guidance” provided by Meaney, not to mention the veteran teammates she competed with in her first season.
“The tables are turned,” she offers of now serving as one of the leaders on a “young and growing” Memorial roster. She adds, “I try to be a role model for them.”
The following spring–after what was at the time her lone campaign with the Sea-Hawks–Roberts graduated and then launched her nursing career.
A few years later–after returning to her alma mater as a first-year medical student – she decided to give varsity cross country another try. Carrying disappointment from her only year in AUS competition, one where she finished “not anywhere near the top-10,” she focused on reaching the upper echelons of the conference.
Roberts delivered–racing to the individual gold medal at the 2019 conference championships while leading the Sea-Hawks to a bronze-medal finish. She was named the AUS cross country female athlete of the year, along with collecting the female athlete-of-the-year nod for Memorial.
“It wasn’t given to me,” she says of her golden result. A hard-earned title–one that Roberts is not ready to relinquish.
‘Don’t get distracted’
When it comes to the student-athlete experience, Roberts notes that “a lot is expected of you.”
“It takes a lot of discipline,” she says, adding that “setting a routine” is crucial. “Don’t get distracted,” she notes, describing that as a “key to success.”
Student-athletes also serve as role models–not only for teammates but also the community–a responsibility that she embraces. “People start to follow you and your journey,” she says. That also includes receiving questions from runners, which Roberts is more than happy to answer.
“They are so supportive,” she notes of Memorial University and its athletic department.
And, of course, there is the time shared with student-athletes–not only from the cross country program but also other varsity sports.
“They understand – they are in a similar situation,” Roberts says of that camaraderie. They know what it is like to navigate a busy–and demanding–schedule. “We learn so much from each other,” she adds. And, because they often share “passions and personality traits,” Roberts notes that leads to lasting friendships.
Meaney describes her as an “inspiration–no question about that.”
“Jade has a tremendous work ethic and is very focused,” he says, noting that she’s earned her “well-deserved reputation” as an incredible student-athlete.
‘Lifelong dream’
Although steely-eyed in her athletic focus, it doesn’t take away from her commitment to academics.
“It is really exciting when you are living your lifelong dream,” Roberts says. Becoming a doctor has always been the long-term goal, even when she was studying and practicing nursing. “It benefitted me so much,” she says of those teachings. The nursing studies–and time in the field–have provided life experience along with a chance, of course, to develop her medical skills.
“It is a little bit of an advantage,” Roberts says.
As for where she plans to specialize, she has “an open mind.” Her time as a pediatric nurse had her leaning towards a career in that discipline. “It is still on the list [of possibilities],” Roberts notes.
More recently, after a memorable “shadowing” experience,” radiology has moved closer to the top.
“For some reason, it was different than I expected; I really enjoyed it,” she says. Nevertheless, Roberts hasn’t made her decision. “I am going to give everything a chance,” she says.
Going for gold
The Sea-Hawks will make their first appearance of the 2021 AUS cross country season on Saturday, October 2, when they travel to Wolfville for the Acadia Invitational. They will make another flight to the mainland a few weeks later for the conference championship meet in Moncton on Saturday, October 30.
Memorial usually competes in three AUS meets per season, but budget constraints–a result of the COVID-19 pandemic–have led to the reduction.
“We have had to roll with the punches,” Roberts says of dealing with that change, noting that they have competed in more local runs. She adds that the team committed to “training consistently” over the summer, which has paid dividends.
“We are starting to see what we can do–it has made a huge difference,” Roberts notes. For her, she says that steady progress has been “incredible to watch.”
“We want to be on that medal podium again–that’s the end goal,” Roberts says, noting that the Sea-Hawks are often “kind of written off,” when it comes to making their mark on the AUS scene. As part of that team-oriented focus, the 24-year-old says her individual goal is a repeat trip to the number one spot on the podium.
Meaney also praised his team, including Roberts, who he notes is “very fit and strong.”
“I think she is ready,” he says, noting his student-athlete’s determination to capture a second individual gold medal.
And, at the U SPORTS level, Roberts has adopted Meaney’s belief that she can collect a top-20 finish.
“You might as well dream big,” she says.