Amanda Hon is a person driven by goals. She works daily to earn a second trip to the IHSAA State Cross Country meet — a feat she achieved last year as a junior at Switzerland County High School.
When her running prowess earned her the opportunity to represent Indiana and her country in a series of cross country meets in Australia, Amanda Hon again worked hard to attain that goal.
But that goal came to a sudden end earlier this week, as doctors found a stress fracture in the runner’s foot — an injury that must be rehabilitated here, which means no trip to Australia.
She was to leave this Saturday for the trip; and would have returned on July 25th. Instead, she will be rehabbing the injury by riding a bike and working out in a swimming pool.
“It’s very disappointing,” Amanda Hon said. “I was looking forward to the trip and to representing this county in Australia.”
International Sports Specialists, the organizing group for the trip; will refund all of the money that Amanda Hon has paid to make the trip; and coaches have already told her that they will have a spot for her on next year’s team.
She would have been running with a team that was a combination of runners from Indiana and Arizona.
Many businesses, organizations, and individuals around the area donated money to help make the trip possible, and Amanda Hon said that it is her plan to put the refunded money into a savings account and then use it for the trip next year.
As for the stress fracture, doctors have told her that it should heal in four to six weeks — which should put her right on track to keep reaching for the cross country goals that she has set for herself.
She is the daughter of Danny and Jennifer Hon of near Florence.