People often say graduate school is filled with writing, researching, experiments, time in the lab, and if you have time in between that maybe you remember to eat, sleep, and exercise. In anticipation of this, Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) scholar Linden Williamson set out two years ago on a mission to integrate healthy habits into her life prior to pursuing her graduate degree. Little did she know that her healthy hobby would turn into a way of life, and an opportunity to compete on the international stage.  

Linden reflected on her journey, “Although it feels like a lifetime ago, I began wheelchair racing only two years ago. (Wheelchair racing is a type of adaptive track sport that is equivalent to able-bodied people running.) I first started with the intention to increase my fitness and pick up a healthy hobby that I could maintain during graduate school. Little did I know that I would grow to love the sport, and that it would become an important aspect of my life as I not only compete professionally but assist in mentoring youth in the sport. It has been a very busy two years, as I am now training every day and competing.”  

As Linden progressed as a wheelchair racing competitor, she balanced time and expectations, the joy of competition, and her internal resilience, while also seeking mentors and pursuing scientific discovery – key elements in her growth as an aspiring researcher and ultimately leading her to the 2024 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon. 

Managing Time and Expectations 

With every new skill, whether in the lab or on the trail, comes preparation and practice. Linden’s pursuit of racing required regular discipline. Linden noted, “the most challenging aspect is balancing working, schooling, and training! There are only so many hours in the day to fit classwork and completing obligations in the lab while saving enough mental energy to finish hours of training every day.” One strategy that helped Linden as she navigated this was understanding the need for time management. She recalled,” When I started at UT Health Science Center San Antonio (UTHSCSA), I felt overwhelmed and put a lot of pressure on myself to be perfect. After adjusting and learning from my mentors, I can now appreciate the little things and effectively manage my workload without feeling anxious all the time. Two big changes that helped me immensely were protecting time in my schedule for the separate commitments I had and limiting the amount of work I do when I am at home in the evenings. I’ve realized that time to recharge at home is precious and enables me to feel well rested at the start of the next busy day!”

Sometimes balance also requires compromise and appreciation of our time and our own abilities. Linden reflected, “Beyond balancing time, I’ve had to carefully manage expectations. Like many students who aspire to graduate school, I struggled with imposter syndrome and perfectionism. Now, I approach the demands of research, classes, and training with an attitude of gratitude that I am privileged to have these opportunities of learning and improvement.” 

Role Models and Mentors

Role models and mentors are an essential component of every graduate student’s journey. They may come from all walks of life and provide support in various and unexpected ways. For Linden, one of those role models is American athlete, Susannah Scaroni. Linden shares, Susannah “has excelled in breaking numerous world records in wheelchair racing while simultaneously earning her master’s degree in nutritional sciences from the University of Illinois. Her work ethic and commitment to excellence in both sports and academics inspires me to do both! She won the 2024 New York Marathon; she’s such a strong and resilient athlete. Closer to home, my coach Saúl  Mendoza Hernández provides me with unwavering support and mentorship. As the head coach at Texas ParaSport, Saúl believed in my potential when I began racing and has helped me cultivate it through lots of hard work. He is retired from a prolific career with many Paralympic appearances and marathon records, now coaching adaptive track athletes full-time.” Mentors and role models are essential to our career, professional, and life pursuits, as they inspire and support us in our journey.  

 Competition 

Innovations and new scientific discoveries often occur through due diligence, research, hard work, goal setting, and through the spirit of competition. This feeling of joy in competition helps to fuel Linden after long days in lab conducting research. She noted, “Having goals to train towards helps me stay focused and not get bored of training, as I love the competition. International races are especially motivating because I love pushing at 100% effort alongside elite female athletes — it’s always a profound experience to push myself to the absolute limit and see what I am capable of. People say that marathon-ing is addictive, and I can attest to it!”  

That positive reinforcement and pure endorphin rush found within marathoning translates into her research and understanding of human behavior in and out of the lab. Moreover, in the Fall of 2024, while pursuing research in Dr. Amy Garrett’s lab investigating how adolescents with post-traumatic stress disorder benefit from trauma therapy, Linden was invited to be one of two American elite wheelchair athletes invited to the 2024 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon.

Linden vividly looks back on her experience, “The entire course had wonderful support from spectators, from dancers and singers to people coming out of their homes to encourage athletes. Although the weather conditions were very rough this year, the supportive spectators along the course made the miles easier to get through! I loved the atmosphere of the race, especially in the last ten miles. Spectators were calling my name and cheering “USA” as I passed them…Their encouragement helped me keep pushing and finish the course, ending up on the podium to boot!!” 

Resilience 

To achieve this level of competitiveness takes time and diligence, similar to completing a series of experiments over and over. Despite the exhaustion, the joy of that finding out the results at the end makes it all worthwhile. Linden reflected on her first half-marathon and how she resolved to overcome panic in pursuit of her goal, “I felt my glove break when climbing a particularly steep hill at only four miles into the thirteen-mile race! Immediately, I panicked as I realized that it would be much harder to propel myself without the glove working properly, as it is the implement used to transfer the explosive force of pushing to the hand rim of the racing chair. Without it, I would slip when I tried to push and injure my hand from the force needed to propel forward. Tears were shed and my pace slowed, but I resolved myself to finish the race. Even if I limped over the finish line, I would choose that over not finishing the race. Looking back, that spirit of resilience was the key to unlocking fitness for long-distance races. I think that I finished that race in a little over one hour, but it remains one of the toughest races I have ever done.” Pursuing new activities, challenges, and experiences, may induce fear and uncertainty, but like all emotions, it too will eventually pass as you work towards mastery.  

Despite the challenges of her first half-marathon, Linden preserved and later endeavored to continue in her journey. When recalling her most recent experience, Linden shared, “I loved racing amongst a very international field, as only one other American elite woman, Michelle Wheeler, also participated. International races like the Abbott Major Marathon series invite competitors based off of the fastest times in the season and — as a candidate race for the Abbott Majors — the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon invited me to participate because I had a fast enough qualifying time. Elite female wheelchair racers can complete marathons in anywhere between 1:35 and 2:00, depending on the course elevation and weather conditions.” Linden’s perseverance helped her to place 3rd overall in the Marathon.  

Scientific Discovery 

Linden balances her athletic endeavors with her passion for research. Linden is invested in understanding how children recover and heal from PTSD. Her work in Dr. Garrett’s lab is focused on “studying the brain changes that occur as these adolescents progress through Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) using MRI.” She recently presented her poster, “Symptom Improvement is Predicted by Structural Network Changes at Multiple Timepoints in Trauma Therapy for Adolescent PTSD” at the 2024 Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minoritized Scientists (ABRCMS) conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Linden won a Best Poster Presentation Award in the Neuroscience category (post-bac subcategory) competing against over 500 posters in the neuroscience category. 
 As Linden continues her research and preparation for graduate school she notes, “The work ethic that I’ve learned through training day-in and day-out has carried over to my readiness for graduate school. Simultaneously, the problem-solving skills I have gained through research come in handy when I’m training and things go wrong, like getting a flat tire when I least expect it! Completing research has also equipped me to use the scientific method to inform my training, as I rely on evidence-based training programs. For example, I’ll control all the variables I can (like the weather conditions, time of day, physical recovery levels) when testing a new form of nutrition for a race. Through, I am lucky to have mentors who encourage me to continue elite athletics while developing my academic skills here at UTHSCSA.” 

Next Steps

Moving forward, Linden is preparing to compete in the elite athlete field of the 2025 Boston Marathon. Her ultimate goal in the sport is to represent the United States on the world stage in the 2028 Paralympics. In the meantime, she is planning to pursue a doctoral degree in clinical psychology in the hopes of conducting research into the role of resilience as a factor influencing PTSD recovery in young people, especially those affected by serious injury. She is passionate about conducting meaningful research that helps people understand the function of their brains.  

We know and anticipate Linden will continue to make a difference as an athlete, PREP Scholar, researcher, and future psychologist. We look forward to witnessing her growth.  

 To learn more about the UT Health PREP program, please visit our website.