Catching up with the Champs: Kathy Butler
November 11, 2018 | Women's Cross Country
Butler relives winning individual title for Wisconsin
In the lead up to the 2018 NCAA Cross Country Championships, the University of Wisconsin will feature a Q&A with its past NCAA individual champions. Kathy Butler came to Wisconsin from Edinburgh, Scotland. In her time with the Badgers she won an NCAA title in 1995 and since has taken part in two Olympics. Butler shares what it was like competing in the Olympics, what is was like coaching at Wisconsin, and offers advice for the team this year.
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Describe that feeling of representing your country in the Olympics in Athens and Atlanta.
Representing my country(ies) at the Olympics was a whirlwind of emotions. The first time in Atlanta, I was still very young and found the Olympics both exhilarating and overwhelming at the same time. I had been to several world championships but the Olympics is a whole different level. I ran the best I could but wasn't very experienced at racing at that level. The next time in Athens it had been eight years in between and that felt like an eternity waiting to get back to the Olympics. I was much more experienced and was able to focus more easily on racing at my best. It didn't change the amazing feeling of stepping into the stadium full of people and feeling nervous but proud to be ready to represent myself and my country well.Â
What was it like helping coach for the team you used to compete for at Wisconsin?
Having the opportunity to work on the coaching staff at Wisconsin felt like a great way to give back to the team that gave me so much as a student athlete. I really enjoyed helping the next generation of athletes reach their best while competing for Wisconsin. It also gave me the experience to continue to develop my coaching into what is now my career since retiring as an athlete.Â
What was that feeling like when you won the NCAA individual title?
Winning the NCAA cross country individual title was an unbelievable feeling. The race itself was very hard fought and I had slipped to fourth or fifth with about 1200 meters to go, I benefited from a slight uphill and gained on the front group and decided just to go for it and run as hard as I could to the finish, I was running scared up front for the last kilometer. When I finished I had given everything I had on that day. Cross Country is such a great combination of athletes from many different distances on the track all coming together in one race, it was a great feeling to come away with a win over all of those runners.
What advice do you have for our current runners?
My advice for the current Wisconsin runners would be to train smart and develop yourself into an athlete who has many tools in their racing kit. Develop the physical and mental ability to race in different ways so that you're ready for whatever comes your way on any given day. Running NCAAs in Madison will add an extra layer of excitement and nerves but ultimately it is another race to be approached using all of your past experience. Let the excitement and fans push you on and help you achieve your best.
What makes Madison such a great place to host NCAAs?
Madison is a great place to host NCAAs because of the great history that the school has in cross country running. The alumni will all be in full support of the event and the current teams. I also hear the course is pretty special and a real cross country course although I haven't seen it yet!
Do you still follow the Badgers?
I do follow the Badgers. It has been great to see how well they've been running this year and I look forward to seeing them compete on November 17th. I look for results but also follow the coaches and team on Instagram so it's fun to get a glimpse into some of their current training and students-athlete lives.
What did it mean for you to win it for Wisconsin?
Running for Wisconsin was such a great time in my life and running career. We had a very close and strong team and we all wanted to run well for each other and Peter (Tegen). It was a great opportunity to complete a great education while running for such a great team. When I crossed the finish line and won the NCAA cross country in Ames it was my teammates and Peter who I looked for first as it meant the most to share it with them. Without great teammates and great coaching, I could not have got to where I did with my running.Â
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Describe that feeling of representing your country in the Olympics in Athens and Atlanta.
Representing my country(ies) at the Olympics was a whirlwind of emotions. The first time in Atlanta, I was still very young and found the Olympics both exhilarating and overwhelming at the same time. I had been to several world championships but the Olympics is a whole different level. I ran the best I could but wasn't very experienced at racing at that level. The next time in Athens it had been eight years in between and that felt like an eternity waiting to get back to the Olympics. I was much more experienced and was able to focus more easily on racing at my best. It didn't change the amazing feeling of stepping into the stadium full of people and feeling nervous but proud to be ready to represent myself and my country well.Â
What was it like helping coach for the team you used to compete for at Wisconsin?
Having the opportunity to work on the coaching staff at Wisconsin felt like a great way to give back to the team that gave me so much as a student athlete. I really enjoyed helping the next generation of athletes reach their best while competing for Wisconsin. It also gave me the experience to continue to develop my coaching into what is now my career since retiring as an athlete.Â
What was that feeling like when you won the NCAA individual title?
Winning the NCAA cross country individual title was an unbelievable feeling. The race itself was very hard fought and I had slipped to fourth or fifth with about 1200 meters to go, I benefited from a slight uphill and gained on the front group and decided just to go for it and run as hard as I could to the finish, I was running scared up front for the last kilometer. When I finished I had given everything I had on that day. Cross Country is such a great combination of athletes from many different distances on the track all coming together in one race, it was a great feeling to come away with a win over all of those runners.
What advice do you have for our current runners?
My advice for the current Wisconsin runners would be to train smart and develop yourself into an athlete who has many tools in their racing kit. Develop the physical and mental ability to race in different ways so that you're ready for whatever comes your way on any given day. Running NCAAs in Madison will add an extra layer of excitement and nerves but ultimately it is another race to be approached using all of your past experience. Let the excitement and fans push you on and help you achieve your best.
What makes Madison such a great place to host NCAAs?
Madison is a great place to host NCAAs because of the great history that the school has in cross country running. The alumni will all be in full support of the event and the current teams. I also hear the course is pretty special and a real cross country course although I haven't seen it yet!
Do you still follow the Badgers?
I do follow the Badgers. It has been great to see how well they've been running this year and I look forward to seeing them compete on November 17th. I look for results but also follow the coaches and team on Instagram so it's fun to get a glimpse into some of their current training and students-athlete lives.
What did it mean for you to win it for Wisconsin?
Running for Wisconsin was such a great time in my life and running career. We had a very close and strong team and we all wanted to run well for each other and Peter (Tegen). It was a great opportunity to complete a great education while running for such a great team. When I crossed the finish line and won the NCAA cross country in Ames it was my teammates and Peter who I looked for first as it meant the most to share it with them. Without great teammates and great coaching, I could not have got to where I did with my running.Â
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