A Closer Look at Villanova's Sheila Reid

Getting a Reid on Villanova track star Sheila
BY DREW McQUADE
Philadelphia Daily News
April 25, 2012

THE SHEILA REID nobody knows loves pancakes, bowling and whatever.

Yes, whatever. That was one of the interests, along with shopping mall, culled after an exhaustive investigation of 30 seconds and three or four clicks on her Facebook page.

It was on Facebook so it had to be true, although the identifying photo in the lefthand corner looked suspiciously like a young Bruce Springsteen. Reid, the Villanova superstar runner, is much more attractive and might own a guitar but definitely does not have a beard.

"Bruce is on there, because my dad is a big fan," Reid said. "I'm a fan, too, but it's a tribute for my dad. He has been to a bunch of concerts and drug me to a few, too."

Excuse me Boss for this, but she is the one who was born to run.

Go ahead, Google Reid and you'll reinforce what you already know. The woman can beat you in a race. She can smoke you, especially if the race is long distance. But the search here is not for the Canada native who will anchor at least two if not all three Villanova distance events this week at the Penn Relays at Franklin Field.

We're looking for the Sheila Reid who lists "Dumb and Dumber" as one of her favorite movies and Stephen King's "Misery" as one of her favorite books. She's not a machine. She merely plays one on the track.

"I'm not an athlete, 24/7," said Reid. "I'm intense when I'm running and I know I might run 50 miles a week but when I stop I'm relaxed. I'm normal."

She even breaks training once in a while to devour Ben and Jerry's Late Night Snack ice cream and one of her favorite cheats occurs during Restaurant Week in Philly.

"I love those things," she said. "I don't eat a bunch of stuff I shouldn't eat but when I splurge I will eat a lot of one thing, like steak. The next day I pay for it, sweating like crazy."

Can't imagine what the recovery time is for Late Night Snack, which consists of vanilla ice cream, fudge-covered, potato chip clusters and salty caramel swirl.

Why, it must be the dessert of champions.

Reid has won NCAA individual and team championships in cross country, the NCAA distance medley relay championship indoors, the unbelievable 1,500/5,000 double at last year's NCAA outdoor championships.

She is chasing the elusive Penn Relays watch, the one award that has escaped her wrist and her grasp but you have heard these sagas. Inquiring minds want to know why "Dumb and Dumber" is on her list of favorite movies.

"I'm a big Jim Carrey fan," said Reid.

They both hail from Newmarket, Ontario. So does the late John Candy, yet surprisingly "Cool Runnings," starring Candy as the coach of the Jamaican bobsled team, wasn't on her list.

"No, I'm not the most famous person to come from there," Reid answered with a laugh. "I'm clearly behind those two."

She's clearly ahead of them in the track world. In the real world she's wise beyond her 22 years.

"Guess if I said I was cool I wouldn't be that cool," answered Reid to what was probably an uncool question. "So, I'd say I'm a nerd. I'm closer to a nerd than being cool."

One of her favorites things is to pig out on pancakes, especialy her mom's when she's home. I'd say she's pretty cool.