Oak Hall's Olinger headed to Oxford in England
By Brian Miller, Special to DistancePreps.com

Oak Hall School (Gainesville, FL) distance runner Brittney Olinger isn't your typical high school senior.

Everybody tries to put their best foot forward when it comes to getting into colleges. You're told to boast of your accomplishments.

Hers are numerous: A 4.8 GPA; five-time Gainesville Sun Female Runner of the Year while leading Oak Hall to its first state cross country title in 2012 plus team runner-up results three other times; finishing third in the 2013 1A cross country finals.

And then there's this little business of starting her own non-profit company, ReRun Sneakers, just before her junior year. That earned her New Balance's Local Hero Award this past year.

But she doesn't brag. And since bucking the trend of conventional American wisdom has suited Olinger well so far, the lively yet humble brunette decided she'd like to do the same for college. She will be heading to the prestigious University of Oxford in England to continue her education, while her running will continue to be a secondary component with an indirect impact on her decision-making.

"Oxford really came on my radar late," said Olinger, whose interest lies in business, as influenced by looking up to her father. "I thought about it entering my senior year and had to figure out the application. It's such a focused degree which is so different from the States. When I made it through the first round (of cuts) and received an interview from Oxford, I was thrilled.

"They have a very specialized program in Economics and Management, taught by the professors that write the books for these courses. It's an incredible opportunity and I'm very excited to go there."

Olinger will be assigned specifically to Hertford College within Oxford, which houses 38 different, study-specific colleges. She originally looked at schools such as the University of Pennsylvania, Yale, Columbia and Wake Forest before earning a spot across the Atlantic. Athletics will be different there, and far different from NCAA-level, but she's OK with that.

"My whole day now consists of school, running and then a lot of homework," Olinger said. "I've worked so hard to keep my academics up. That's always been my priority even though I love running and will certainly continue to run there, I couldn't pass up an opportunity to study like that."

Olinger began competing with the Eagles' varsity in the seventh grade. Along the way, she's rung up personal bests of 18:07 in the 5k, 11:10 in the two-mile, 5:17 in the mile, and 2:25 in the 800-meter run.

And then after four years of competitive running, she was shown pictures of a track meet that began altering her worldview. The kids running around in competition on the Bahamas' Andros Islands had socks. None had shoes.

Olinger wanted to do something about it. So she did. Forming ReRun Sneakers, she sought out help from teammates, the Gainesville running community and its partners and began taking donations of lightly used sneakers.

The first shipment of shoes hit the Andros Island in April 2013 and arrived for the very kids she'd seen running just nine months before. Since, she's personally taken shoes to Jamaica in partnership with Ohio-based "Mission Jamaica" and has found how running changes lives the world over.

"These kids were just so excited because this was what they did in their free time or for their schools, they ran," Olinger said. "It's not just exercise and fun, but it's their outlet. It's been my outlet. Running keeps me sane through everything. I saw the importance of that and also the pure nature of the sport. It's something these kids can do for the rest of their lives."

In Jamaica, world champion sprinter Usain Bolt looms large. He's plastered on billboards in the streets and at airports. Kids grow up dreaming how running could be an escape to impoverished conditions.

"If I can just be a little bit of support for them on their journey with running, it would be amazing," Olinger said. "Helping them out in any way makes everything worthwhile."

One kid in particular— one of the fastest in the school and on the island— stuck out to Olinger, especially while racing her over 600 meters.

"He destroyed me," she said. "He was so, so fast. And he was so happy to receive a pair of shoes. Just a new pair not worn down like his others. If I can just be a little catalyst for good in their lives, that's what we're here for, to make it any bit easier that we can."
Olinger will stay on the board of directors her creation even as she treks overseas. High schoolers are a primary component of staff, and Oak Hall junior Katie Ringdahl, who has run with Olinger since sixth grade, will spearhead the effort in her role as Vice President, having learned from ReRun's founder. The school calendar also lines up well in that Olinger still believes trips each December to Jamaica will work out.

"I can't imagine my high school career without it," Olinger said. "It's something that has enriched me as a person. It's helped shape the person who applied to Oxford. I think it gave me a level of maturity that they probably saw when I was applying and going through the interview process."

Olinger's own personal running career will look different now. Oxford's Blue team competes but the athletic structure is far different in competition to that of the NCAA-sanctioned meets. There's more a club feel and its rivalry against Cambridge University is of utmost importance.

Though she is a creature of habit, Olinger isn't fearful of the upcoming change. In fact, Oxford's imperative on independent research and intensive study plays to her strengths. And as she's learned already, from the time she first ran a mile in third grade to the precipice of a new era, the mark of a great distance runner isn't discovered at the starting line.

"I've had a great varsity career, so many incredible teammates and experiences," Olinger said. "I never thought when I joined this sport that it would take me to the places it did, or I would be on such (successful) team. The experience has been incredible and I've loved every single second of it."