Co-Captain Murathime Daisley ’26 initially joined Indoor Track and Field as a Junior to stay in shape year-round for soccer. However, she fell in love with the sport. She found her mental toughness increasing, an aspect that translated well into her athletic and academic careers. Daisley’s primary event is the 800-Meter race, which is often called one of the mentally hardest in the sport. Her leadership focuses on inspiring others to push past their own limits, from veterans to newcomers, as she extends her presence throughout the team with inclusivity and kindness.
As a Co-Captain, Daisley strives to make training enjoyable for her teammates. She also emphasized the importance of being genuinely interested in her teammates’ success and their personal journeys.
“I try to make everything very fun, trying to show that it’s important to be invested in other people’s success because I feel like that’s the biggest thing about track. It gets fun when you keep up with other people’s PRs and it gets fun when you think about and talk to them about their journeys of the work that they put into their events,” said Daisley.
Toward the younger athletes on the team, Michelle Onyeka ’27 emphasized that Daisley is eager to connect with everyone, helping them to integrate into the team as she acts as a beacon of support and encouragement.
“She cares a lot about the people around her no matter what kind of role she has, but especially as a [Co-]Captain, she makes it a point to talk to everyone and let everyone know that they’re doing well, constantly cheering for everyone. That’s the kind of leader she is, the kind of person who just cares about everyone and wants to make sure everyone is doing well. And she just has this very welcoming vibe about her that makes her someone easy to talk to,” said Onyeka.
Daisley recognizes that Andover can be both motivating and stressful, but she makes an effort to arrive at practice with a smile on her face. She lives for the upbeat moments of practice when teammates find joy even when pushing through a difficult workout.
“We have such a strong track program, it can be super easy to get super stressed and in our heads about our performances and our times, but I’m hoping that I embody that it’s okay to be having fun while you’re doing hard things and having a smile on your face and lifting other people up like as you’re going,” said Daisley.
Chloe Song ’26 highlighted how Daisley’s energy extends as a warm embrace rather than a formality. Song noted how Daisley’s care for others has created a standard for captains to make each teammate feel valued.
“I can’t say enough about Mura. Knowing her as a teammate, but more importantly as a friend these past four years, has had a big impact for me personally. A lot of people can speak for the fact that she really gets to know each and every one of her teammates personally. You always feel a warmth that she carries around with her and it makes people really feel at ease and that’s not something that everyone has,” said Song.
Daisley also seeks to foster a positive team culture where every athlete feels seen. This influences teammates to follow in her lead and incorporate newer athletes into their routines and social circles.
“I try my best to be inclusive in a non-performative way, but in terms of the little things, for people in the smaller event groups, they can feel the most left out. We schedule structured activities to dinner after practice with new people or staying to watch another person’s race,” said Daisley.
Looking toward the future, Daisley hopes to incorporate running into her life even if she doesn’t compete in college, perhaps finishing a half-marathon or full marathon.
“Running will forever just be a part of my life, even if it wasn’t my main sport, just as a nice pastime or hobby, and I hope in the future, I could run a half-marathon or a marathon.”
