Middleboro student finds life lessons while reaching for finish line

MIDDLEBORO — Part way through a cross-country race, then sophomore Atley Phinney broke his foot.

Numbed by adrenaline, he managed to reach the finish line before the “extreme amount of pain” from his injury hit him.

After visits to urgent care, doctors and the Middleboro High School trainer, he thought he would never run again. 

“It made me a lot more mentally tough and trusting of the whole process, whether it would be that one easy run or a hard workout or physical therapy, and to move past each individual day and each challenge on to the next,” Phinney said.

The now fully-recovered senior has had a standout cross country season. He’s become a key member of his high school’s team and taken on leadership roles on and off the track.

He placed in every invitational meet he ran in this year, won the South Shore league meet and was named the South Shore Sullivan league champion for the second time.

“I’m definitely extremely proud of myself. To be able to prove to myself that I'm capable of the things that I have done and continue to do, it means a lot to see that outcome through each individual win and personal record,” he said.

The potential to achieve those goals is what kept him going through those difficult days of recovery, Phinney said. 

He first began running in eighth grade at the urging of friends, and said his initial goals were centered around personal improvement. As he fell in love with the sport and saw himself improve, he said his priorities became more team focused. 

He started to work towards building a positive culture on the team and reaching state competitions. 

The runner served as the team captain this year, and said he tried to emulate past captains he had seen take on the leadership role while putting his “own personal touch” on the position. 

After graduating in the spring, Phinney plans to attend Stonehill College, where he will run for the school’s Division I track and cross country teams while studying neuroscience. 

With graduation in sight, he said he hopes to leave his younger teammates with the courage to believe in themselves and set ambitious goals. 

He’s also the student council president at Middleboro High School, which he said has helped him further develop his leadership skills.

“It’s allowed me to kind of play two different roles in leadership. I can see a lot more, I’m more wise with what I do, because I have a different perspective,” Phinney said. 

Coach Thomas Smith said Phinney has helped set the tone for the team, and many of the younger athletes look up to him.

“He's kind of a lead-by-example guy,” Smith said. “He's not going to get into people's faces or anything like that, but he just shows up every day and does the right things.”

The two have known each other since Phinney joined the team five years ago, and Smith said his graduation will leave a hole in the team that won’t be easy to replace. 

Assistant Coach Heather Montross agreed, and said she will miss his quiet leadership, work ethic and inclusivity.

“He definitely will leave a hole,” she said. “He's just such a good influence on people around him that it will be tough shoes to fill. I don't know if anybody will fill them in the same unique way that he does.”