Lindsay Hecox, 19, a college freshman, said she became enamored with running in high school. “Something about it clicked with me,” she told NBC News. “It’s just you on the trail and your own mind to push yourself harder.” Hecox was a varsity athlete in high school and said “it was the best experience” she had during those formative teen years. “It was my whole friend group,” she said. “It helped me focus so I could keep my grades up.” She came out as transgender after she graduated in June 2019