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SUPER SARAH: TWCA's Chappelle setting lofty goals for track; life
SARAH CHAPPELLE HAS LEFT A TREMENDOUS LEGACY AT THE WOODLANDS CHRISTIAN ACADEMY.
But, she’s just getting started.
The senior track star has hopes of setting the TAPPS Class 5A State Record in the 300 hurdles on her way
out this Spring, before heading to Hillsdale College in Michigan. She will be bringing her spikes with her, along with her sweaters.
“I’m beyond excited for the next step of my life,” she said. “It’s a great school with a great track and field program. The mentorship, Christian culture, facilities and network are all amazing. I’ll get homesick but I’m already building a family there.”
Family is everything for Chappelle. Her brother plays football at Troy University in Alabama, and her parents have mentored her throughout her life.
“My parents are amazing,” she said. “My Mom is from rural Alabama. She was worried about her kids having
a work ethic when we moved to The Woodlands. They have made sure that we had to work for what we wanted. It taught me an early life-lesson that if you want to be successful, you have to work for it. They instilled that in us and to seek the Lord. That has grown me into the woman I am today.”
The TWCA-lifer, Chappelle flipped her philosophy when she stepped foot on the track in high school.
“Coming into high school, track was just for me to glorify myself... I just wanted to be fast and track was my idol,” she said. “The Holy Spirit worked in me and since then I’ve been more focused on God. Now I see track as a gift he has given me to glory him. My view shifted coming into ninth grade.”
When she’s not training, she has a pair of unique hobbies.
“I love sports photography,” she said. “I never thought I was creative but taking photos is my artistic outlet. When I’m sitting and editing my photos, I just decompress. It also keeps me involved in sports.”
The other?
“I do bio-technology competitions,” she laughed. “There is a thing called gel electrophoresis (the separation of DNA) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR). I basically extract DNA, run it through PCR and find out about different diseases and bacteria. I can nerd out sometimes.”
While she is focused on the Lord and track, she also has a passion to become an OBGYN (obstetrician/ gynecologist).
“That’s the plan,” she said. God-willing.
Parish Episcopal field hockey athletes pose at the 2022 VYPE DFW Fall Sports Media Day.
VYPE DFW PHOTO GALLERY: National Girls and Women in Sports Day 2023
Although the concept of sports have been around quite some time, it wasn't until the late 19th century that high schools and colleges began forming teams for girls and women. Female educators saw the need for teams that girls and women could play on and set off to work on building programs everywhere. Now, some of the most decorated athletes of all time are women who have paved their way, broken glass ceilings, and made names for themselves in their respective sports including USA track star Allyson Felix, USA tennis star Serena Williams, USA soccer stars Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach, USA swim star Katie Ledecky, USA gymnast Simone Biles, and many, many more. While the list of strong female athletes could go on forever, VYPE DFW is honored to celebrate some of the Dallas-Fort Worth area's athletes!
With hundreds of high schools across the Dallas-Fort Worth area and plenty of girls athletic programs, some of the top athletes in the area include strong women who are making names for themselves while putting their school, team, and community on the map. Continuing to strive for greatness on the court, on the field, on the trail, on the track, and in the pool, the athletes VYPE has had the pleasure of covering have all proven to be excellently skilled and truly great human beings. VYPE is honored to work with and celebrate so many strong women athletes. I look forward to continuing to cover DFW-area women's sports.
Below are just a few of the talented female athletes VYPE DFW has been able to cover over recent years.