Upper Merion High School graduate Ariana Ramsey is on her way to her second Olympics with the U.S. Women’s Olympic rugby sevens team, writes Aaron Carter for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The 24-year-old Ramsey graduated from Dartmouth in May. During her last two years at college, she helped the team win back-to-back national championships. She departed for a pre-Olympic training camp on July 14 before heading to the Olympic Village in Paris.
During her sophomore year at Upper Merion, Ramsey was a speedster looking for a more contact sport than track and field.
“I didn’t really enjoy track,” she said. “It wasn’t fun. It wasn’t engaging. Then I started playing rugby, found out I could go to college for it.”
Once she joined Dartmouth, her learning curve of the game was significantly accelerated.
“Once you get to college, girls are really starting to put their shoulders into it, and you really feel the hits more,” she said.
She mostly plays on the wing for Team USA, which is usually the team’s fastest player.
“It has taught me that I’m not afraid to go out of my comfort zone or be physical,” said Ramsey.
Read more about Ariana Ramsey in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
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