The promising young Dunedin athlete has secured a spot at Harvard — whose alumni includes Barack Obama, Bill Gates and Ruth Bader Ginsburg — and jets off to Massachusetts today.
Geddes, 18, who was St Hilda’s Collegiate dux last year, will be part of the Ivy League university’s distance-running programme and plans to study either computer science or life sciences.
"I’m really excited for it," Geddes said.
"I’m looking forward to multiple aspects of it.
"Both the running side of things with the NCAA system over there will be really cool.
"There’s also quite a team aspect to it, so that’ll be nice and the level of competition’s a lot higher than it is over here, so I’m really looking forward to that.
"I’m also looking forward to kind of the academic side of Harvard, seeing what that’s like and experiencing a completely new kind of culture."
Geddes has always been a strong long-distance runner, specialising in cross-country and enjoying the 1500m and 5km events on the track.
She won the national secondary schools cross-country in 2022 and earlier this year represented New Zealand at the world cross-country championships.
After some good results in recent years, college coaches started reaching out to Geddes last year which "kind of planted the seed in my mind".
The Hill City-University athlete then contacted Harvard coach Alex Gibby, who coached Kiwi Olympian Maia Ramsden — "it’s very inspiring" — about joining Harvard.
Visiting Harvard’s campus earlier this year was "quite surreal" as it all began to sink in.
"It was amazing. The facilities they’ve got are incredible — made me very excited to go," Geddes said.
Being part of the NCAA circuit was exciting, but it was also the extensive training she would get alongside other athletes.
"I’m also really looking forward to the opportunity to train with other top athletes.
"Because that’s something, I guess, I haven’t got a lot of opportunity to do here, just because we’re a smaller city, smaller country.
"So it’ll be really nice to be able to train with other top athletes."
Geddes took part in cross-country at primary school, but starting taking it seriously when she reached secondary school, training under her coach, Dave Stinson.
It still gave her the same joy as when she first began.
"I love the feeling of pushing my body to the limit and just seeing what I can do.
"You’re just so in the moment and it’s really nice kind of to get away from the business of life and just run."
