Laura Nagel

I’m a very easy going athlete compared to 10 years ago. I’m very calm and composed when it comes to most elements of racing and training. My strengths lie within my consistency and dedication to the sport on many levels, not just training and I think that helps me in all areas of life. I’m a little stubborn when it comes to what I want to do with my life which I think has helped me get to where I am today. A big part of my personality is that I love helping others, which is prominent in the women’s distance group I’ve helped build in Auckland over the last 2 years. That in turn has helped me with my own performance too!

I started running when I was 12, a lap of my family orchard each day. The first race I ran, 3000m champs, I broke the record by a minute. I was then asked by a coach if I'd like to join training, so I did. At first it was mainly for the social aspect as I didn't really like running, but after a little success in my region I was hooked! My why has changed a lot over the years from just wanting to win and now it‘s more about seeing how far I can push myself and how fast I can go. It's about seeing what I can do to get my body in the best possible place it can given my resources, and probably most importantly over the last 2 years is being able to help others and share my experiences.

My national titles are all really special to me. I never take those for granted, particularly the two 1500m titles I have from 2022 and 2023 as two years ago I never would have thought those were possible for me. But one that always stands out as well is co-captaining the 2013 NCAA Championships Providence women to the national cross country title. It’s one of my favourite moments from my running career - doing this as a team after a very long season and a lot of pressure was the ultimate result!