M
·
T
Portland
,
Oregon
·
May
18, 2026
WI T H
G RAT I T U DE
Thank
you
,
Coach
.
Dear
Coach
Chen
,
I
wanted
to
take
a
moment
to
say
thank
you
—
not
just
for
every
hour
you
gave
to
practice
,
but
for
the
way
you
always
believed
in
me
a
little
more
than
I
believed
in
myself
.
When
I
started
the
season
ready
to
settle
for
“
good
enough
,”
you
showed
me
that
running
is
equal
parts
patience
and
grit
,
and
that
the
time
will
pass
either
way
—
we
might
as
well
put
it
to
use
.
I
’
ll
never
forget
the
before
-
dawn
track
sessions
,
the
way
you
’
d
call
out
“
relax
your
shoulders
,
Maya
!”
halfway
up
the
hill
,
or
the
quiet
pep
talk
before
the
meet
that
mattered
most
.
More
than
any
medal
or
personal
best
,
I
’
m
grateful
for
the
quiet
confidence
you
helped
me
find
—
the
kind
that
stays
with
me
long
after
the
finish
line
.
Thank
you
for
coaching
with
your
whole
heart
,
on
and
off
the
track
.
With
sincere
gratitude
,
Maya
Thompson
Varsity
Cross
Country
·
Class
of
2026
A
small
note
of
thanks
Season
2025–2026
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