A member of the 2002 and 2005 National Championship Pilots womens soccer teams win the Portland Marathon
Former UP Pilot soccer player Colleen Little finishes first at the Portland Marathon last Saturday, Oct. 7. Little won with a time of 2 (Photo courtesy of Colleen Little)
By Taylor Tobin, Staff Writer tobint16@up.edur
Former UP women's soccer champion Colleen Little, 29, won the Portland Marathon last Sunday. Her endless hours of training paid off, as she finished with a time of 2:51.35, beating her last best marathon by about three minutes.
Little, whose maiden name was Salisbury, played on the UP teams that won National Championships in 2002 and 2005.
Little dedicated the race to her late UP coach, Clive Charles. Much of her inspiration in the race and in her life came from Charles, who passed away from cancer in 2003, on her birthday.
"He touched my life, and many players' lives in so many different ways," said Little. "He taught me how to be a good soccer player. But more than that, he taught me life lessons that I use every day."
Charles taught Little how to work hard in every aspect of her life. Little puts this lesson to work everyday. Whether she is running a marathon, or working as a physical therapist in Lake Oswego, Little is driven to succeed.
"I wasn't just born with some amazing talent or skill. Everything that I have been able to do is from hard work," said Little. "I think that's the biggest lesson Clive taught to everyone."
Little says it was the best feeling in the world to win the race on the 10-year anniversary of the UP women soccer team's first National Championship.
After the race, Little joined her former teammates at Merlo Field for Sunday's game, where the school honored them for their 2002 national title.
"All my teammates were in town. It was meant to be," she said "I knew it was supposed to happen that day. It [was] a big relief that all my hard work [and the] sacrifices I put into training made all those lonely, early-morning runs worth it."
