Catherine Clohesy

Catherine Clohesy (‘13) shares her journey of moving to San Francisco to begin her career as a student athlete and how Loreto taught her to seize every opportunity she possibly could, and to show up with passion and drive.

Catherine in her own words:

“I am so proud to be a Loreto College graduate, and I look back at my time during school with the fondest of memories. I am forever indebted to the array of opportunity, belief and skills that Loreto instilled in me throughout my 13 years of schooling and how the Loreto values have helped shape me into the person I am today.

I grew up as a very active child, and growing up as the younger sister of two brothers, I loved to take on any challenge in front of me. In the classroom, I was also incredibly curious, and was never afraid to ask questions or ask “why?”. This curiosity is something that I still carry with me today. I am passionate about lifelong learning, about challenging ourselves to have difficult conversations, to consider different points of view, to question norms, and to listen with the intent to understand as opposed to simply to respond.

Sport was also a significant part of my identity and personality growing up; in particular my passion for running. During primary school I was involved in numerous school sports, but it wasn’t until I was a little bit older in high school where I started to have some success as an athlete. I had been involved in netball, triathlons, swimming, touch football and water polo growing up; but it was always long distance running where my love gravitated towards.

Throughout High School I was selected on 15 state teams to represent SA at a national level in athletics, cross country and triathlon where I broke state and meet records and medalled at a national level. Throughout Years 10, 11 and 12 I travelled all across Australia for races and invited to attend running events as an elite athlete as well as an overseas trip to Los Angeles to race and compete. After racing in some national track competitions in Grade 11, I was poached by a number of College Coaches over in the United States and invited to consider becoming a student athlete and representing my college whilst completing a Bachelor’s degree overseas. I guess this was where I started to really question my path to university here in Australia, or to move overseas to continue both my athletic and academic journey.

It was at this point in my life, at the end of Year 11, that I learnt that my personality was in someone that grasped opportunity with two hands. Soon after I started Year 12, I made a decision and signed a full scholarship contract as a track and field and cross country student - athlete at the University of San Francisco, in California.
During Year 12 after signing my contract, I continued to work hard, and to train hard. I was running about 80km every week throughout year 12, as well as taking 6 year 12 subjects. My subjects were Maths Studies, English Studies, Physics, Chemistry, and Religion. I also took Biology externally as an additional Year 12 subject. I graduated in 2013 with an ATAR of 99.1, and moved over to San Francisco to begin my career as a student athlete at college shortly afterwards.

Looking back, I am grateful that Loreto did an incredible job of instilling belief in myself as a student, an athlete and as a person. Loreto encouraged me to explore and delve into many facets of life and to be courageous in the pursuit of whatever it was that interested me. I also had learnt that who I was defined by, was never in any outcome; it was who I had become in the process of getting there.

I lived in San Francisco, California, for four years, 2014-2018 as a full time student and elite athlete. At college I completed a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience, Sociology and Psychology with University Honors, whilst I was training twice daily, and competing in track and field and cross country races most weekends during season. It was incredibly hard, studying full time, running full time, long days, living away from family and friends, maintaining good grades and trying to maintain a social life alongside my teammates - it was tough work, but it was the greatest decision that I have ever made. In my final two years of college I was also heavily involved in community volunteer work and research opportunities in neuropsychology. On weekends I would travel to San Francisco and offer my time serving meals with Project Open Hand, who provided meals for the homeless population of downtown San Francisco.

Loreto not only shaped me into a woman that chased after goals, that wasn’t afraid to dream big and hope to achieve more; But Loreto also encouraged me to be the best version of me every single day. To show compassion, to stand up against injustice, to be brave, to value respect and sincerity.
Since graduating from college and moving back to Adelaide in 2018, I have revisited how I view the role of sport in our lives. I no longer see sport, in particular running, as simply a competitive pursuit. I also see sport as an opportunity to give back. To give back to our community, each other, as well as ourselves. Sport can be a time to step away from the stressors in our personal lives, to bring together people to raise awareness, to strengthen friendships, to raise funds for charities that matter, and to initiate social connection in a time where social disconnect is rife.

I became the leader of The Run Club Adelaide, a free community based run group in 2018 to continue my passion with running in a very different way, and continue to chase after my goals of giving back and doing more. We not only provide a space for people of all running ability to come together and share a run at our weekly group runs, but we also regularly are involved in charity awareness and fundraisers to contribute to our community. Over the last 3 years, we have raised a total of $30,000 for funds including Bushfire Relief for the 2020 bushfires, for Mental Health Charities including Black Dog Institute and Batyr as well as COVID 19 relief funds for India earlier this year.
Today, I work as a Mental Health Advocate, Run and Fitness Coach and am currently in the process of applying to Postgraduate Medical School here in Australia.
Thank you to Loreto for teaching me; that it is ok to be scared, to be nervous, or to be apprehensive for a game, a race or an exam; because that is also an opportunity to be brave, to bring forth our best self and show our selves that we are resilient, strong and capable. Thankyou for teaching me to seize every opportunity I possibly can, and to show up with passion and drive.

Loreto, thankyou for placing opportunity at our fingertips, and encouraging us that both on and off the field we can be, and achieve, just about anything we set our minds to.”