Ella Woehlcke runs because it is simple. Not easy, but simple.
Every day, the second-year on UVA Women’s Track & Field team shows up, puts in the time, and trusts that what she gives is what she will get back. There is no waiting to be subbed in, no depending on a coach’s strategic decision. Just her own effort, repetition, and the quiet confidence that comes from putting in the effort
“I just like the grind of the day in, day out,” she says. “I like knowing that I go and I show up every day for myself.”
That’s what drew her into running. Growing up outside Philadelphia, PA, she was involved with several sports, including soccer, before narrowing her focus in high school. The deciding factor was, of course, an opportunity to carve out a path in college sports, but also, control.
In running, success or failure depends on her alone. “I’m deciding my own fate,” she explains. That clarity matches her personality. Ella is deeply competitive, most especially with herself. “I’m always trying to be better than I was yesterday.”
That same instinct also shows up off the track.
Long before she applied to McIntire, or the University for that matter, she was already testing out small ways to create and earn—selling handmade items in her neighborhood, leading informal workout sessions at the beach, and flipping items on Facebook Marketplace. None of it was formal, but the instinct was there.
“I just liked having control over something,” she says. “Being able to create something and then sell what I created.”
Like running, business offered a clear system: effort in, results out. Though Commerce wasn’t always part of the plan, once she discovered McIntire, she committed fully. “I put everything I could into the application,” she says.
Now, that same drive fills her day-to-day. Between classes, training, leadership roles, and early recruiting cycles, her days are packed. She thrives on it, mostly.
“I like the challenge and the busy schedule,” she says. “I like knowing that I did the work, I’m learning, and I’m putting in the time.”
Still, that constant forward motion comes with tradeoffs.
Slowing down does not come naturally. “That is an issue for me,” she admits. In rare quiet moments, she turns to the meditative aspects of organizing and connecting with nature, small ways to step outside the constant push forward. She is also learning to zoom out, especially when the pressure of school and recruiting builds.
“You always have to be on it,” she says. “Always preparing. And that can be stressful.”
It’s a tension she’s aware of, even as she takes on more responsibility, including serving as a representative for both the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Wellness Society at UVA. The role reflects something she values, even if it adds another layer to an already full schedule.
But once she gets back out to run, she can often drop the weight of it all, reminding herself why she chose the sport in the first place. “This is the part that you enjoy,” she says. “You get to run this run.”
Looking ahead, Ella is exploring a path into consulting, approaching it the same way she approaches everything else: consistently and deliberately. She’s made it a goal to connect with new people each week, learning more about the range of opportunities ahead.
“There are so many jobs in the world,” she says. “I’m just trying to figure out what I would really love to do.”
Whatever direction she chooses, her approach is already clear. Show up. Do the work. Trust the process.
Because for Ella, progress isn’t something that happens all at once. It’s built, step by step, in the quiet repetition of effort, and in the belief that, over time, it all adds up.
