An interview with Christine Gambell

Christine Gambell is part of the group of recent women’s cross country/track alums who hold such a dear place in our heart. Yes, I know, we say that a lot. This group distinguished itself by elevating the program to levels it has never reached before, and raising the bar to a level that the current and future teams must aspire to maintain and improve. We feel strongly that the current and future teams will do just that. Christine was right in the mix of it all during her four years. She was a strong and passionate member of the team. You always knew where she stood in terms of her feelings on any and all issues. Her late addition to the last question of this Pandemic Papers interview – her poignant thoughts on the current social unrest – is right in character and fitting for Christine.

She was part of a graduating class (2018) that formed a special bond with Coach Chuck. Emblematic of that special bond were their trips to the Eveready Diner, a tradition that started their freshman year and continued right up until graduation. Her class also grew and developed greatly during the brief but significant time we had with Erica Maker as our assistant coach, and that is reflected here as well. Erica's contributions to our program were significant and are still being felt to this day. Like all of us, this group had its ups and downs. But the ups shine through in my mind; they’re all I think of. Although it wasn’t that long ago, it’s still great to read Christine’s take on the memories she formed with her teammates and coaches during her four-year journey here – four years that seemed to go by like four weeks. I know. A recurring theme. But as we continue to muddle through this complicated world of ours, some smiles about recent memories are a good way to spend a few minutes of the day. Thanks to Christine for giving us a chance to smile here.  

When, how and why did you start running?

My start of running was a “one door closing and another opening” story. From the age of 4, I had always been a dancer. From 2^nd – 4^th grade, I was able to dance with a professional dance group during their yearly production of the Nutcracker. In 5^th grade, I auditioned as usual and was heartbroken when I wasn’t selected. I thought dancing was my whole life and had no idea what I would do without it (I was a very dramatic 10-year-old, clearly). I finished out that year of dancing and entered 6^th grade not knowing what to do next. My 6^th grade teacher was the Cross Country & Track coach and asked my best friend, Colleen, to be the manager of the team. Colleen asked me if I wanted to be a manager with her and the rest is history. I feel in love with the sport immediately. Watching the older girls run was magical. They were so strong, so fast and so supportive of one another; I knew I had found my new calling. I joined the junior high team in 7^th grade and never looked back.

You went to a small high school that has an outsized reputation in the distance running community. What was that like and what are some of your best memories and highlights from your high school running career?

When I tell people outside the running community that I am from Tully, NY, they most likely have never heard of the small farm town. But anyone affiliated with New York State high school running was always thrilled to hear that I was from Tully and would ask me for an on the spot Speed Rating. It was great having Bill Meylan (the creator of TullyRunners.com & the NY State Speed Rating system) as an assistant to the program. He was extremely knowledgeable and his Speed Rating system was a sort of bible to us. Our head coach, Michelle Rauber, was infamous in her own regard as a notorious hard-ass and it definitely worked in everyone’s favor. She had run under Jack Daniels, so most of our training was based off his philosophies. Michelle had a special way of getting everyone to “drink the Kool-Aid” and year after year she had one of the best teams in the state. 9^th – 11^th grade we were in in Class C and consistently finished 2^nd at states to the Mary Cain-led Bronxville team. My senior year we were dropped down to Class D and were finally able to capture a State Championship in cross country. That season felt like one magical whirlwind. All the girls on the team were so close and we were all so motivated to win states. I had known most of the girls on the team my whole life, with 3 of the top 7 being my neighbors. It was a surreal experience and I’ll never forget finding out we won (Chuck was at that race watching!).

Describe the recruiting process. How and why did you choose Marist and what other schools were you considering?

I knew that I wanted to run in college, but none of the schools that had reached out to me at that point seemed to be the right fit. Wells College had the prolific Jack Daniels as their coach, but the school was too small for me. I went on a visit to NYU and while I longed to be in NYC it seemed like such a hassle when the coach told me that the girls took the subway to Central Park to practice almost every day (comically, at that point I had no idea I would be taking a van to practice almost every day at Marist). I went to visit Marist my junior year of high school after a family friend had just finished her sophomore year and raved about the school. I fell in love with the school as soon as I arrived. The beautiful campus, a backdrop of the Hudson River and strong academic programs; it seemed too good to be true! After my visit I filled out the recruiting questionnaire and sent it to you! You forwarded it to Chuck who was super excited to hear from a fellow Syracuse Section 3 runner. I went on an official visit in the fall of my senior year and committed a few days later. I knew it was the perfect fit for me. I loved the team culture and could tell from what all the girls told me that you and Chuck were caring and compassionate coaches.

What did you major in at Marist and what was your academic experience like here?

I majored in Communications with a concentration in Public Relations. I also minored in French & Fashion Merchandising. My academic path was similar to Mariah’s (we had almost all our classes together because we had the same major and minor). I ended up not really enjoying my Public Relations classes and picked up the Fashion Merch minor. These classes were much more my speed and ultimate helped me make my decision of what industry I wanted to go into post-graduation.

You did some great running and racing while you were here at Marist. What are some of your favorite memories and highlights from your time as a runner at Marist?

Similar to my other teammates’ answers, my overall favorite memory is the friendships that were formed over my four years on the team. I would do anything to be on a run over the Walkway with my girls right now. I think I will list out some of my favorites by each year:

Freshman: The bond formed between the girls in our grade was so special. We were all so different, but it worked perfectly.  I couldn’t image a better group of girls to spend my first year with. Mara, Mariah and I became quick friends and were inseparable for most of freshman year. I’ll never forget our Spring Break trip to Tampa and trying to go on runs when it was 90-plus degrees. Thank God for that pool!! Jenna and I bonded over our love of Timeflies and went to their concert together down in NYC after watching some high school races at the Manhattan Invite with Chuck. Shannon kept us all laughing and one of my favorite memories by far will be our first trip to Eveready with Chuck when Shannon ordered strawberry pancakes. I was injured for most of my freshman year, but remember some of the great team accomplishments that year were Michelle’s epic 5Ks and Mara’s standout freshman season. I was so proud of them and the many others that ran remarkable races that year.

Sophomore: Mariah and I finally got to be roommates this year! We became great friends with Jordan and Shea this year too. The four of us grew really close and it was so fun to train with Shea for the 800 in track. She’s one of the strongest people I know both on and off the track and I’m so proud of the amazing career she had at Marist.  

Junior: Mariah mentioned this in her paper, but our Tuesday morning workouts with Erica were a special memory for sure. Erica had a special way of pulling the magic out of all of us. Mariah and I cherished that special time with Erica and we both had remarkable junior seasons. One of my other favorite memories was setting the school record in the 4 x 1500 with Shea, Mara & Emily at Colonial.

Senior: Mariah, Jordan, Shea and I all got to live together in new Gartland that year. We shared so many fun times and I’ll never forget all the workouts and doubles we did in the new Gartland fitness center. I loved walking in there after night class and seeing the treadmills all occupied by the men’s and women’s team. It became something I looked forward to; that and the snacks we would all get together afterwards! Our final trip to Eveready with Chuck was emotional, but we were so grateful for the special bond our class formed with him.  

How did your time at Marist prepare you for your post-collegiate career?

I think Marist does a great job at developing poised and professional graduates. There were so many opportunities to network with alumni during my time at Marist and I tried to take advantage of as many as I could. Marist also does a great job at hiring professors that are either fresh out of the industry or still working within their area of expertise while also teaching. Both my PR and Fashion professors were able to share their valuable real-life experience which definitely helped me out tremendously. I think my mix of PR and Fashion classes helped me to have good presentation and public speaking skills that I utilize often at work. I’m also so thankful that I signed up for that 1 credit Excel class my junior year!! I am in Excel all day at work and I still remember the tips and tricks I learned in that class.   

Describe your career path to date, from when you left Marist to now.

I will never forget receiving my job offer from PVH (parent company for Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Izod, and numerous other brands). I received the offer email while we were having our last team dinner of the year the day before MAACs. I remember immediately bursting into tears of relief and all the girls hugging and congratulating me. It was a surreal moment and one that still brings a smile to my face. I started my position as an Assistant Sourcing Manager for The Underwear Group (TUG for short) two weeks post-graduation and have fellow alumni Jenn Horner to thank for sharing my resume with the TUG sourcing team. I have learned so much in my time with PVH these past two years and am proud of myself for achieving my goal of working in the fashion industry and moving to NYC. Although my time at PVH has been a great learning experience, it is not where I want to be long term. I had been looking for opportunities outside of the fashion industry for months prior to the pandemic. The pandemic has helped me re-focus and I have spent ample time applying to new positions within Project Management and Consulting.

The pandemic has had a profound impact on your career now in the short-term. How have you been managing things and what's it like being back home?

My mom picked me up from the city on March 18^th and brought be back to Tully. I worked from home for the first few weeks I was at my parents’ house and then unfortunately was furloughed, along with 75 percent of all PVH employees, on April 10^th. At first, I was very upset and panicky. Even though it was basically a given that furloughs were imminent within the fashion industry, PVH is one of the biggest retailers in the world, so I had been optimistic that we wouldn’t be affected. Now that it has been more than a month of being furloughed, I can easily say that this has been such a blessing. As mentioned above, I have been trying to find opportunities outside the fashion industry for months now and this span of unemployment has given me times to work on my resume, network and establish a plan of what I want out of my next career. When the furlough was initially announced, PVH said it would be for at least three months. This would put us at a mid-July return date. I am not optimistic that this will happen, but it is just a waiting game at this point. I’m hoping something better suited for me crosses my path in the meantime!

Where do you see this pandemic going and what do you envision for the short- and long-term future?

It is hard to say how the pandemic will unfold in the next few months. From the trends that I have been following, states that have already re-opened are seeing a new spike in cases, which is disheartening but makes sense based on people having increased contact with one another. I understand that there is frustration is keeping things closed and “ruining the summer,” but this is so much bigger than all of us. It is hard to see people not adhering to social distancing and not wearing masks because the longer people resist the longer the restrictions will stay in place. I pray that there is not a second wave, but I think it may be imminent, especially with how apt people are to return to “normal” as soon as possible.

Talk about your post-collegiate running and racing -- the NYC Marathon! How have things been going for you, how is your training and what are some of your future aspirations with your running?

I never anticipated running a marathon so soon after graduation. My body and mind needed a break from running and truthfully didn’t believe I could accomplish such a feat. It had always been my mom’s dream to run the NYC Marathon, so I suggested we put our names into the lottery for the fun of it, never thinking we would actually get in! My mom got selected and I did not, so I decided to take the fundraising route. I had never been a high mileage person in high school or college and had only been running three miles every other day since graduation, so I was nervous that the marathon mileage would be too much to handle. But the training turned out to be therapeutic. Those 2-3 hour long runs in Central Park became something I looked forward to every Friday morning at 5 a.m. Jordan did parts of my long runs with me occasionally and that was a nice way for us to catch up from the crazy schedules our jobs had us in (she also jumped in and ran miles 18 – 23 with us which was so helpful as my mom and I were struggling at that point). The day of the race was absolutely perfect. The weather was crisp and clear. Although it hurt like hell, the race was so fun. The energy of the NYC Marathon is unmatched. The streets were packed, we had family and friends in every borough to look for, and we finished just shy of our initial goal of breaking 4 hours. I’m so proud of my mom for this accomplishment, her first marathon ever at the age of 57!! (Don’t worry, she gave me permission to say that). Our time got my mom an automatic entry into this year’s marathon, but with the pandemic we are unsure if the marathon will happen as scheduled this year. For now, I have no plans to run another marathon anytime soon. Before the pandemic I was doing parts of Jordan’s training with her and Shea. That was something I really looked forward to, it was so fun to run all together again. Since being home in Tully, running has been my saving grace and I am enjoying doing 4-5 miles a day without the pressure of training for anything specific.

What are some of your fondest memories of your last few months at Marist and what message can your send to our recent graduates about the loss of their final few months of their college careers?

Senior year was such a special time and I hold those memories close to my heart. The last few months were so bittersweet. I couldn’t image leaving the place that had become home and the teammates that had turned into family. I tried my best to cherish each and every practice because I knew I would miss the simple things like our pre-run chats in the racquetball court or a run at Vassar Farms. It felt surreal that we would all be leaving and not be within a 5-minute walk of each other anymore. I took for granted being in such close proximity to everyone at that time. Although a lot of us have moved to NYC, Mariah is in Boston so we don’t get to see each other too often. We FaceTime often to catch up and thankfully we have been FaceTiming lots during the pandemic too. I’m so grateful that Marist brought Mariah and I together, she is my best friend and I hope everyone can find their “Mariah” at Marist. I feel so terrible for all the seniors that lost out on those special moments, athlete or not. I have talked to the senior girls and they have been so strong, although their sadness is palpable. Emily, Ali, Boushra, Denise and Alyssa all made such an impact on the team. These girls were strong leaders, great runners and even better friends. I know they all have the brightest futures ahead of them. They made their mark on the program and that won’t soon be forgotten.

  

Anything else you'd like to add ... 

Thank you so much for including me in the Pandemic Papers! Thank you for creating this special series to keep us all connected and learn about alums before and after our time at Marist. We are all bonded by the special place that Marist Cross Country and Track hold in our hearts. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do for the program. We all left Marist better than we were when we arrived thanks to you.

Additionally, I want to share a few words on the recent murder of George Floyd and the perpetual racism and police brutality that have plagued our country for far too long. George Floyd was just one of thousands of black people that have been unjustly murdered because of the color of their skin. This needs to end. We can be part of the change. It is so important that we educate ourselves on how to be better allies to the black community and how to use our white privilege to speak out against racial injustice. These are basic human rights that we are fighting for. Know that your voice matters, your vote matters and especially that BLACK LIVES MATTER. Please do what you can: donate, protest, educate, vote, sign petitions, support black-owned businesses, have those tough conversations with friends and family. Our silence is unacceptable.