MOUNT DORA, Fla. – Mount Dora High School’s Noelle Vu only knows one speed – fast. So quick now that, at 16-years-old, her dad prefers to keep up with her on a bike.

“When Noelle was one, she put on her first pair of running shoes and she started trotting down the driveway before she could walk,” said Dr. Chuong Vu, Noelle’s dad.

Her love of running started young, and it continued to grow as she followed in her parents' footsteps at local races.

“They’d have the big grown-up races, the 5ks, and then they’d have the little kid miles and I would love doing those because it was my time to shine, be like my dad,” said Noelle Vu.

Running is a family event, not just with mom and dad, but also three younger sisters. All four girls have track in common.

“When you’re in the race and you’re dying and then you just hear your sister going ‘Let’s go Noelle’ or the same thing, vice versa,” said Vu.

The long-distance runner took home 4th in the 800 meters at state last year, as a freshman. But then she suffered quad, achilles and hip injuries that kept her from running cross-country in the fall.

“It was just one after the other and I wasn’t able to train at what I knew I needed to be training at in order to do well. And it just frustrated me cause I was expected to do so much.” said Vu.

She’s learned to listen to her body and also enjoys focusing her time on another sport in between racing seasons.

“Soccer gives me a nice little break from running all the time and have a different team sport to do with all my friends,” said Vu.

As a sophomore, Vu recently set a personal record in the 3,200 meters and the Hurricanes hope to be a force this season.

“I’m hoping to continue putting in the work with my teammates and hopefully we all go to state together this year,” said Vu.