Jessie Cardin is a cross country and track and field professional runner, who is trying to make it to the 2024 Olympic games. She graduated from Sutton High School in 2014, and graduated from Westfield State University in 2018. There, she studied in elementary education. When she graduated, she was one of 29 students who received the 29 Who Shine award. This award is given to 29 amazing graduates from the commonwealth’s public higher education system.

Throughout her educational career, Jessie has run on cross country and track and field teams. She started running cross country in seventh grade.

At Sutton, along with running cross country, she also did indoor and outdoor track, and acted in the drama club. While at Westfield, she was an all American in the 3000 steeplechase in outdoor track, and a two time all American in cross country. She also won the MASCAC women’s cross country race four years in a row. She was one the first woman or man to win four years in a row.

Jessie then switched to running marathons after graduating from college. Her personal record (PR) for the half marathon is a time of 1:12:08. The race she PRed on was in South Carolina, on December 5th, 2021, finishing in tenth place.

She is currently training for the Chicago Marathon. It is on October 9, 2022 and the race is through the streets of Chicago. On the run, they will pass many major landmarks within the city. 33% of the participants are coming from other countries to run in the race, and it is one of the six world major marathons.

Jessie’s goal for the marathon is simple. “Our goal that we have been training for has been a 2:32 marathon, so that would be 5:48 miles. That is five minutes under the Olympic qualifying standard for the trials, which is 2:37.”

Her long-term goals are also very incredible. She hopes to have a time of 2:29 in the 2023 Boston marathon. For the Olympics, her goal is a time of 2:27. Those are some of her long term goals and if she meets them, perhaps we will see a Sutton graduate with multiple medals around her neck.

We all have days where we don’t feel like moving. We just want to stay in the house or in bed and do nothing. When Jessie is having one of those days she tries to remember why she loves running, and that it is a gift, that she has something she is good at and enjoys doing because some people do not have that. Along with that, she also tries to remember the goal she is working towards.

She also goes through each day one step at a time, like checking marks off a check list. When you are having one of those days, try thinking of one of these things to keep you moving through the day.

Jessie also has some advice for all the Students at Sutton High School. She says, “Don’t limit yourself. It is really easy to limit yourself the minute you are on your own, out of the bubble. You may not be the most competitive high school-I was going up against people from really competitive schools and programs- and my mom reminded me that I am not ruled by my past, but I can write my own story.” She also says that, “You have to work hard and not be afraid of working. Go achieve that goal. Make the time. Work harder than others. If you do that, you will be living your dream and where you are-school, finances, whatever-will not determine who you are and what you are going to be.”

At Sutton High School, we are proud of our graduates, and we wish Jessie nothing but the best. Check back in for updates on how she faired in the Chicago Marathon.