Broken back in third grade didn't slow state-bound Zaynah Tate of Galion one bit
GALION - Nine years ago, Zaynah Tate's future in sports was in jeopardy.
"I broke my back in third grade doing gymnastics," the Galion senior said. "I was on the same gymnastics team as Allison Johnson of Mount Gilead [now at Penn State] and (junior) Juliette Laracuente of Highland. I was on bed rest for nine months then and I had to wear a brace."
The nine months that followed were the most important nine months of her athletic career. A successful recovery would mean sports were back on the table.
Tate's recovery was successful, enough.
"My back is still broken today – the breaks are still there – but as long as I don't do too many things, I'm good," she said. "There are some pains that go along with it still, but as of now I'm going strong."
And with gymnastics no longer a possibility, she needed a new outlet.
"After that I decided to join cross country and try something new," Tate said. "Even with running I've had to go back to physical therapy a few times randomly with the back pain. But it is nice having something because there's a lot of restrictions on what I can and can't do.
"Having running always there and multiple sports with running is really nice to fall back on."
She quickly learned the importance of listening to her body and prioritizing recovery.
"There is a little discomfort – not necessarily in my back – it affects my legs, knees and hips," Tate said. "Sometimes there's pain in my back directly but it's something I've learned to deal with. Rolling out, icing, things like that helps."
And even after finding solace in running, there was always the thought in the back of her mind that it could all be over at any moment.
"It got a little better over that time," Tate said of the initial bed rest. "But it has always somewhat stayed the same and there's always that risk of it getting worse and I can't compete in sports anymore. It has stayed consistent over the last eight years, so as of now I'm good.
"But there's always that little part of me that knows it can't get much worse."
Running her way to state
Last weekend at the Division II regional meet, Tate broke her own school record by four-tenths of a second in the 800-meter run clocking in a 2:20.33 which was good enough for fourth place which locked up the final qualifying spot at state.
"It's so exciting because we made it to state as a team in cross country a couple years ago, but I've never made it to state as an individual," she said. "Finally making it to this point in a tough race like the 800 in one of the strongest distance regionals is super exciting."
Lexington is known for being not only one of the toughest distance regionals in the state, but one of the most difficult in every event to get out of. Having already competed against some of the best in the state and even managing to PR, Tate is approaching this weekend's state meet as if it was just another meet.
"State is the ultimate goal," she said. "So after being at regionals and on the verge there with all the nerves that go along with that, I think it'll help me be less nervous at state.
"The goal is always to get that record as low as possible, and I've been trying to get back to being as fast as I was last year. So it's nice to finally get to that point."
Two years removed from the last time Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium hosted the state meet – spring sports canceled in 2020, Pickerington North hosted D-II in 2021 – all three divisions are back at Ohio State and Tate is excited to be back. Though she has never raced on the illustrious track before, it's not her first time at Jesse Owens.
"I'm so excited it's back," Tate said. "My mom (Jamie) is one of our coaches and she was there coaching the high jumpers, it was so different being at a high school vs. Jesse Owens.
"All the build up from the whole season, going to that big stadium, it's so much more exciting."
Tate comes in to Saturday's 2:30 p.m. running of the 800 seeded 16th with 13 seconds separating top-seed Elizabeth Whaley of Indian Hill and 18-seed Jenna Cassidy of Minerva. Though she would need another big PR to likely reach podium based on times, Tate is just reveling in the experience of competing at state.
And she's eager to carry on her career in college.
"I'm going to Tiffin to run cross country and track," Tate said. "I wasn't sure for a while if I'd even run in college, when I decided it really hit me and now I'm super excited."
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This article originally appeared on Bucyrus Telegraph-Forum: Galion's Zaynah Tate is state-bound in the 800-meter run
