Behind Charlotte Taylor's smile, lies a fierce competitiveness. 

Taylor, a 2013 gold medalist at the U-20 International Triathlon Union Olympic Distance World Championships, arrived at USF without much experience competing in cross country. However, that has not prevented the Spalding, England native from making a huge impact on her new team.

During her first race as a Don, Taylor placed fourth in a dual meet against Boise State. In her next meet at the prestigious Roy Griak Invitational, Taylor paced the Dons again, earning a 14th-place finish in a field of over 200 runners. 

Taylor has not only impressed her coaching staff with her results on race days, but also the drive she has demonstrated in training as well.

"She is very much about the team and a big reason she came to USF was because of the team concept," said head cross country coach Helen Lehman-Winters. "I think that's one reason she's smiling all the time. She is really enjoying being a part of something. 

This weekend, Taylor will take her back-to-back top-20 performances to Louisville, Kentucky where she will race in Pre-Nationals at 8:30 am PT. 

"Know Your Dons" is an ongoing feature on USFDons.com designed to personalize the student-athletes of the University of San Francisco - meet Charlotte Taylor.

Student Life
Favorite spot on campus: Heading east on Golden Gate Avenue. I cycle to school in that direction in the morning and I love the view you get of the sun rising behind the city skyline. 
Favorite class: Economics of Development. I've found the topic areas we've covered so far interesting and there's a good mixture of theory and practical work. 
Hardest class: Natural Resource Economics
Favorite place to study on campus: The ground floor of the University Center building. I prefer to work where's there's a bit of background noise rather than complete silence.
Balancing the demands of school and your sport: I have practice in the morning and most of my classes are in the evening because I'm studying a graduate program, so the schedule is working quite well for me at the moment. 
The best thing about USF is: The people; staff and students. I have been so impressed with how willing the staff are to go the extra mile to help the students, whether it be answering questions in class, going over material you didn't grasp in a lecture, helping you to settle into a new environment, etc. This has been true of my experience with both the academic and athletic departments. 
What does "Change the World From Here" mean to you: I think that, as a student-athlete at USF, I have an incredible opportunity to pursue my goals both academically and athletically. And I think that if everybody gets the chance to be the best they can personally be, that has to be a good thing for the world. 

Pop Culture
Favorite TV show: Casualty. It's a British soap opera that I've watched for years.
Favorite movie: The Theory of Everything. I only saw it recently, but it's my new favorite.
Last book you read: Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty.
Favorite singer or band: Coldplay

Team
One thing you are always working on: Staying injury free.
One skill of one of your teammates you wish you had: Kate's stopwatch-using skills! She is a master of timing both reps and recoveries during our workouts. I always manage to hit the wrong button on my stopwatch and then don't know when we're supposed to be starting the next rep. 
Pre-game rituals or superstitions before events: I try not to have any, so that I don't get worried if something changes. 
Funniest teammate: They're all great. There's a range of different personalities but I think that makes training together fun. 
Favorite bonding moment with your team: Our pre-season training camp at Lake Tahoe. 

Sports
Sports teams I follow: The world triathlon series and any major track and field championship.
Favorite athlete: Richie Porte (cyclist)
Favorite athletic memory: The world age-group triathlon championships in 2013
Biggest sports thrill: Descending on my road bike.
My second-best sport: Triathlon (more like equal favorite than second-best!)

Food and Travel
Favorite meal: Butternut squash and lentil stew
Favorite ethnic cuisine: Indian
Favorite snack food: Trail mix
Guilty pleasure: Ice cream
Least favorite food: Meat 
If stranded on an island, what would you bring with you: My bike
Most interesting place you've ever visited: San Francisco
Place you'd most like to visit someday: Iten, Kenya
Favorite place in San Francisco: Twin Peaks

This and That
Hobbies: Running, cycling, swimming and horse riding
Pick three words to describe yourself: Happy, quiet and determined
Early riser or night owl: Early riser
Talent I wish I had: Conversing with people I don't know
Role models: My sister
In 10 years, I'd like to be: Still running happy
If I could trade places with someone for a day, it would be: My best friend
Describe your perfect day: Some combination of swimming, cycling and running, with friends, in the sunshine. 

In your own words, describe the student-athlete experience at USF: I had never been to the U.S. before the start of the semester, so I didn't really know what I was letting myself into by coming to study at USF. But I'm so glad I came! I think San Francisco is a great city, with lots of interesting things to see and do, but also easy access to more natural environments like the beach, Golden Gate Park and Marin Headlands. My teammates and coaches are all so friendly and supportive, which is the only way a sport I already loved could have got any better. And I am finding my lectures interesting and challenging. So although life as a student-athlete can get pretty busy at times, I see that more as a case of being fun-filled than stressful.