Gabrielle Rains Blog Number One: It's Travel Time; Alberta to Peru

FIU Athletics

MIAMI (July 20, 2017) – FIU track and field standout Gabrielle Rains will spend this week at the Pan-Am U20 Track and Field Championships in Trujillo, Peru as a member of the 54-member contingent representing Canada. A native of Sherwood Park, Alberta, just east of Edmonton, Gabby will give Panther fans a little behind-the-scenes look at her journey. During her time with the team, she will write a daily blog that can be accessed on www.FIUSports.com. Check back frequently and follow Gabby on her priceless journey. 2017 Canadian Pan-Am U20 Track and Field Championships Roster Monday, August 17/Tuesday, August 18 (Edmonton-to-Houston-to-Trujillo)I have traveled to many countries for track and field, but for some reason, on this trip, the airplane gods were out to get me. My flight from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, to Houston Texas, could not have gone smoother. Arriving in Houston, I noticed a scratch in my throat. Not giving it too much attention I grabbed some cough drops and waited for my fellow teammates to find me at our gate to go to our second destination, Lima, Peru. My three-hour layover in Houston went by very fast while sharing introductions with new athletes and greeting my old friends. The flight From Houston to Lima might have been the most treacherous ride of my whole life. I seemed to have contracted strep throat and was stuck 40,000 feet in the air with no sign of Advil to numb the pain. I was eventually unable to speak or swallow. If any of you have ever had strep, you know that even the slightest movement feels like you have tiny shards of glass stuck in your throat. Not fun. I have never been so excited than when we landed, and I was able to choke down about seven extra strength Advil in hopes of being able to swallow in the near future. Just as ...

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