Mariah Quigley’s Hard Work Pays Off

Weedsport Junior Mariah Quigley has always been known to be very athletic. She’s a three-sport varsity athlete, playing field hockey, basketball, and running track. She’s also played with a USA field hockey team that won a national competition at the Spooky Nook Sports Complex in Pennsylvania for her age group.

She has a wide range of accomplishments. These include her personal records for basketball, like her 33 points scored against OCS.

In track, against all of Division II at the state qualifier meet she posted sixth in the 100m hurdles her time being 16.75 for the 100m hurdles and third in 400m hurdles in 1:09.51. She was also the Auburn Citizen’s Girls Outdoor Track and Field Athlete of the Year. 

She made the varsity field hockey team in 8th grade as a goalie. This was where she got to experience winning Sectionals against Little Falls, 2-0. Even though she was nervous to join the team, not knowing anyone she was able to perform at her best and aided her team in many victories. 

Mariah made it clear that a huge part of her accomplishments was made with her team. She explained, “I wouldn’t have accomplished most things without the help of my teammates. Every little bit of support helps, even if they’re on the sideline cheering…”

Along with sports, something equally important to her is staying fit and healthy. As of right now, she works out seven days a week, most of those days working out twice. Her first workout typically takes place at 5 a.m. and then she will work out again during the afternoon. While she lifts most days, Sundays are dedicated to recovery and cardio. “Your muscles need 24 to 48 hours of recovery. Having a rotating plan through the week will make you successful, giving certain muscle groups time to recover,” Quigley advised.

While working out is important, she also focuses on eating a healthy diet that fuels her workouts. “Exercising with a bad diet won’t get you far,” she said, explaining that it can be unmotivating. She also keeps in mind to get plenty of sleep and to hydrate.

Mariah is very passionate about staying active and is very aware of the health advantages. It improves respiratory, cardiovascular, and overall health. It also lowers the risk of getting injured and increases life expectancy. Most importantly to her, it improves her quality of life. 

She explains, “It is proven that exercise improves mood, mental health and provides many health benefits. It also can allow you to do things that others may not be able to do.”

Fitness has had such an influence on her life that she also made an Instagram account dedicated to fitness. Her account wasn’t created too long ago. She had doubts about making it at the moment and was posting her progress on her personal account. 

People started reaching out to her for help. She then knew it would be easier to make a separate account. Posting videos gave her a chance to show people exactly what she was doing rather than just explaining it where something could be unclear. 

Mariah’s intention in making the account was purely to help others. It allowed people to learn from her, and also provided a way of contacting her. She explained, “When I first got into fitness there was a lot I didn’t know. Most fitness pages and apps weren’t free.” Her goal was to aid others in their improvement in the easiest way possible.

Her account includes nutrition, personal goals, and contact information. She plans to post much more in the future, such as workout routines, a day of eating, and best ways to succeed. 

She has set many goals for herself in the future and sets a new goal every day. Soon she plans to start fitness competitions and to work towards every show. She explains how she wants to blow everyone away including herself. 

“I hope to one day to become a long-term influencer to help others and motivate them to better themselves and hit their goals,” Quigley said.

The mindset has been very important to her throughout this whole fitness journey. She stays very optimistic and has positive affirmations as well.

When asked about how she keeps such a positive mindset, she explained that she has specific quotes that are her favorite because they motivate her. “The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination,” by Tommy Lasorda and, “Your fitness is 100% mental. Your body won’t go where your mind doesn’t push it,” said by someone unknown. 

She believes it is possible to do anything you want as long as you put your mind to it. “It’s not easy but it’s not impossible. It’s all about mind over matter and what you want,” Quigley said.