Meet Alanna McDonough '11

Alanna McDonough ’11 played ice hockey and dabbled in JV soccer at Govs, but she also developed a passion for running cross country and track. After taking a post-graduate year at Deerfield Academy, she went on to major in Environmental Science at Colby College and competed as a collegiate athlete, earning All-American in the indoor mile and steeplechase, and the Ellsworth Millett Award presented to student-athletes who have contributed the most to Colby Athletics in their four years. She completed a master’s degree in Sports and Exercise Science from Smith College and is now head cross country coach at Thomas College.

Here, she shares insights about her journey as a runner and a coach.

GOVS:
You were captain of track and cross country at Govs, team MVP for three consecutive years, and competed on the Independent School League and New England All-Star teams. How did you get your start running at Govs?
MCDONOUGH:
I come from a hockey family, so that was predominantly what I did growing up. At Govs, I wasn’t very good at soccer, but I was good at running back and forth down the field.  ‘Abu’ [David Abusamra P’93, her former teacher and cross country coach] must have seen me running around during a practice because he called to ask me if I had ever considered doing cross country. My favorite part of this story is when he said, ‘Do you like ice cream? We get ice cream a lot.’ And I do! So on a whim, I decided to do it. I instantly adored the team—I found my people and I knew it. And it turned out I was pretty good at it. 

GOVS:
You continued to have success as a student-athlete at Colby College. Were there any challenging moments?
MCDONOUGH:
The hardest part of my athletic career at Colby was struggling with an eating disorder during my sophomore year. I never imagined I would find myself in that position; I was strong, I was athletic, and I didn’t want that. Then suddenly, I found myself in the throes of it, and I didn’t know how I got there. My teammates helped me realize it and brought in my coaches and other Colby resources, and then my family. All of a sudden, I was scooped up—whether I wanted to be or not. 

It was really hard, and I didn’t come out of it right away, but the love and care of people made me want to get help. It took years to feel like I was truly myself again and to understand that this was not something that happened to me because I’m weak. But I’m better for it, I have an appreciation for my body, and I don't have any hard feelings toward myself. As a coach, I tell my story to student-athletes—and if there are athletes who are struggling, I make it very clear that I can empathize with them and I will support them. 

GOVS:
That leads to the next question: How does your experience as a student-athlete inform your coaching?
MCDONOUGH:
As a former student-athlete, I can provide insight into what it’s like in very finite moments, like competing in a championship race or balancing academics, athletics, and social life. But I need to understand that while I had a similar experience, my solution may not be right for them. What I can do is empathize and then help them figure out which tools will help them grow now and carry them into the future. 

GOVS:
You recently spoke to the Cross Country team at Govs, specifically about Title IX, the federal law enacted 50 years ago that bars discrimination against women in education. What inspired the discussion?
MCDONOUGH:
Title IX is a wonderful thing, and it has dramatically increased access for women to high school and college athletics. But seeing this sort of equity at the entry-level, we became complacent and stopped asking questions. And that’s not good enough. When you consider aspects beyond the entry—including women working their way up into leadership roles—suddenly you realize stats like the fact that under 10% of athletic directors at the collegiate level are women. Those numbers don’t add up with how many are entering into sports. 

I didn’t have a female coach with whom I identified until I was in high school; JV Soccer Coach Lisa Borgatti and Assistant Hockey Coach Holly ‘OD’ O’Donohue, both also teachers, rocked my world. I didn’t consider a coaching career until I saw them and started thinking, ‘Oh, this is something I can do.’ If you don’t see it, it’s that much harder to understand that it’s a place where you can be.

GOVS:
Did you have other mentors at Govs?
MCDONOUGH:
I’ve had so many amazing mentors who shaped me and ultimately led me to my coaching career. Govs was the first time I felt seen by my coaches; Coach Abusamra cared about me as a person—not just to make me a better runner but to make sure I felt safe and felt seen. And all of my Govs coaches made me feel like an important contributor to the team. It wasn’t just about how many goals we could score or how fast we could run. We were valuable beyond that.

As a coach, I’m now the builder of the culture, and I want to be like my Govs coaches. Hopefully, at the end of their time with me, not only are my student-athletes better runners, but I’ve made them feel valued and provided the necessary tools for them to go forth into the world and pursue their passions and dreams.

McDonough and Coach Abu