Rachel Carr Is This Week's Phantastic Phantom

Ever since she was a little girl, Rachel Carr, like many kids, looked up to and wanted to be just like her big brother, so at an early age she started running.

At first it was mostly to keep up with big brother Eric, but even after he headed west to Elizabethtown College she hasn’t stopped.

As we caught up to the Phoenixville senior and this week’s Phantastic Phantom, she was quick to point out that she would be the one looking over her shoulder if she and big bro hit the trails today.

“I always wanted to be like Eric,” said Carr. “He was always so athletic and I realized early on that he would have the spotlight with his soccer, so I started running to show him up until I got faster than him—and I am still, by the way.”

We talked to the always appreciative Carr as she defended her home turf in the shadows of Valley Forge Christian College in dominating fashion as she blistered the field in a tri-meet with perennial league cross country powerhouses Spring-Ford and Owen J. Roberts.

“I really got serious about track and running when I joined the field hockey team as a freshman,” added Carr. “All of the kids on the team called me 'Forrest' because I loved to run so much. Mr. [John] Kraynak got me to come out for track and I am so glad he did.”

Carr is looking at attending William and Mary where she will study biology, more specifically genetic biology. The subject caught her interest thanks to the influence of her high school bio teacher Julie Shaw and student teacher Miss Sadar.

“I really enjoyed getting into discussions and debates,” said Carr. “We would get into talks after class about genetics and it just has fueled my interest in the field.”

You might think that the tunes pumping through her iPod as people chase her over field and hills would be something with an edge, but actually Carr likes to listen to acoustic music in the vein of Matt Costa or Jack Johnson.

“I really like acoustic stuff,” said Carr. “I would love to see Eric Hutchinson in concert. He has an amazing voice.”

Having the opportunity to run at the Penn Relays the last two years has given Carr a chance to see a few of her heroes of the running world as she watched Usain Bolt set a new Penn Relays record in 2010 and witnessed Allyson Felix and Lauren Williams run in the distance medley.

“The Penn Relays are an amazing experience,” Carr said. “I have gotten to see so many great runners, and had so much fun being there with my team. I can’t wait to run there again this year as a senior. My team is awesome.”

Miss Carr and her fellow 4-by-400 relay teammates Jacine Durrell, Patricia Johnson and Lisa Payton made a lot of noise last year in the Pioneer Athletic Conference, District One meet in Coatesville and at the PIAA state championships in Shippensburg, but it was the trip to the national championships in North Carolina that stands apart as her greatest high school memory thus far.

“Going to outdoor nationals with my 4-by-4 team was amazing,” said Carr. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We got to compete and meet so many people from all over and so many different cultures. It was awesome. I met one person from Kenya that I am still in contact with through e-mail and texts. I feel so lucky to have been part of something so special.”

Run, Rachel, Run!