DELAWARE – Craig Speelman made a deal with his daughter in the winter of 2023: For every day that his daughter would run one mile, he would give her $1. Young Georgia would have to do it for one month to receive the complete pay out.
So, Georgia did it. Then she did it for a second month. And then a third.
Georgia made the deal with her father because she wanted to join the Olentangy Hyatts Middle School track and field team. Craig bet her that she couldn’t stick with it.
Little did he know that she enjoyed running.
That little side bet flourished into a standout career on the Olentangy Berlin girls cross country team.
“I’ve never been an athletic person,” said Georgia, who is now a senior. “So, it kind of gave me a sense of achievement that I never had in the past.”
Speelman grew up playing field hockey, though she didn’t play it year-round. Some friends convinced her to run in the spring.
Between her side hustle with her dad and joining the track team, she discovered her love of running.
“When I joined the track team for the first time, just getting to run with other people was such a cool experience that I had never done before,” Speelman said. “It’s a different type of connection than being in a team sport like field hockey or soccer.”
There’s been ups and downs along the way. Take the last two races, for example.
Speelman set a personal best 18 minutes, 34.2 seconds in finishing 17th of 160 runners at the Berlin-hosted Bear Den Dash on Oct. 3.
“She’s got an engine that will just go,” Bears coach Shannan Ritchie said. “She was already showing promise (as a freshman). She just took to it like a fish to water.”
But that was followed by a disappointing OCC-Cardinal Division meet on Oct. 17 at Hilliard Bradley, where Speelman (19:24.1) placed fifth of 53 runners.
“I think because it was so cold at OCCs, that was all I could think about,” she said. “Honestly, when I came to the finish line, I expected my time to be slower than it was. So, obviously, I wasn’t super happy with the time.
“But at Bear Den, I was super locked in with the race, mentally. I was passing girls and I could tell it was going to be a good time at the finish line because I truly felt like I gave it my all.”
Speelman’s time at the Bear Den Dash ranked 17th in the state in Division I.
The Bears scored 70 points to finish second behind champion Dublin Jerome in the six-team division.
Senior Joanna Jegan Jose (ninth, 19:39.5) set a personal record and freshman Addison Friece (11th, 19:57.7), junior Grace Heitkamp (12th, 20:03.0) and sophomore Clara Book (36th, 21:12.9) also scored for Berlin.
“(Speelman) did not have her best day,” Ritchie said. “There are five or six girls that are really top-notch in our conference and she’s right up there.”
Speelman is seeking to qualify for the Division I state meet for the second time. She was 33rd of 179 runners at 19:04.5 last year.
Speelman and the Bears begin their postseason pursuit at the regional meet Oct. 31 at Pickerington Central. The state meet is Nov. 7 at Fortress Obetz.
Speelman was a district qualifier as a freshman — her first year in the sport.
She was a regional qualifier as a sophomore. But it was a season that was a physical struggle before it even began.
Speelman was always small in stature. Her lack of growth was a concern for doctors.
After a battery of tests, she was diagnosed with celiac disease — an autoimmune condition where the immune system reacts to gluten, which sometimes causes damage to the small intestine, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Speelman was diagnosed in the eighth grade.
Celiac and running had an adverse impact on Speelman physically. She wasn’t eating enough to maintain a healthy weight.
The summer before her sophomore year, she had to stop all physical activity.
Eventually, she found a balance and didn’t miss any races. But the first two months of the season acted more like a training regimen than a competition.
“Coach Ritchie told me that I ran about 40 miles throughout the summer and then in the season, like 400 miles,” Speelman said. “It’s amazing I didn’t get hurt.”
Speelman is committed to run cross country, indoor and outdoor track at Xavier University.
“Going into eighth-grade track, I had no intention of doing it in high school,” Speelman said. “So, now, doing it in college is just crazy.
“Looking back on it, my journey hasn’t been easy — especially with the health problems. But I know I wouldn’t be the athlete I am today without those problems and having to overcome them.”
