Athletes who excel do not always give back. They do not have to. It is a choice.

Sally Meyerhoff, a standout distance runner for four seasons at Marcos de Niza and Mountain Pointe high schools at the turn of the millennium, gave back in many ways. She was known, without the mention of her last name with her first, according to her track coach in high school at Mountain Pointe, Dave Klecka.

"It was Sally the red-haired girl," Klecka said. "You said that and everyone knew who you were talking about."

The 27-year-old  prep standout and All-American at cross country and distance runner at Duke, was killed earlier this week in a traffic accident. She was hit by a another vehicle while riding her bike on Tuesday in Maricopa. This less than two months after Meyerhoff won the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in Tempe. An event -- among others--  she trained for since leaving as a track assistant at Mountain Pointe three years ago. The reason for leaving coaching: to pursue a dream as a possible U.S. Olympian in 2012.

Klecka, remembered Meyerhoff as the whole package. Someone who up to the day of her death was "clicking".

"I knew her when she was 14 and in eighth grade," Klecka said. "Even at that time she was way beyond her years. She was really focused. Knew the history of cross country and track in Arizona. The times. The names. She was prepared."

The giving Meyerhoff featured was foremost her running. It was special, as it is for a handful of athletes (runners) who have the ability to win three events or more in a single state track meet. Meyerhoff did it  twice for Mountain Pointe in 2001 and 2002. She won the 800-meters, 1,600 and 3,200. In all she won seven individual track titles for the Pride and helped them to two state titles in 2001 and 2002 with her trifectas. In cross country she was the individual state champ in 2000 and 2001. The Pride won the team title in 2001.

Meyerhoff was one of those athletes you watched at state not because you thought someone might beat her, but someone you viewed to see to see a record broken - history, made -- if you will. Her career at Duke was much the same as she garnered All-American honors in 2004 in cross country and 2006 in track.

While still not giving up on training and competing for bigger and better things after graduating from Duke in 2007, Meyerhoff returned to Mountain Pointe to help coach distance athletes. Did that for three years. The type of giving back we normally associate as giving back.

When Meyerhoff felt there was more to do herself, she set out to achieve again with her Olympic dream, a dream she was training for when her life tragically ended. That dream meant leaving athletes she was coaching. A tough decision, but again one that inspired others to reach as far and as high as they possibly could to achieve.

Meyerhoff had qualified for the 2012 U.S. Olympic trials in the marathon and was continuing training  for the Ironman Triathlon World Championships in mid-October in Hawaii. She was an athlete on fire as a professional.

”I stayed in contact with her at Duke and after Duke," Klecka said "I know with her training and her habits she was really starting to come into her own.  She was so caring and so loving. I knew her as a friend as much as anything. I've lost a friend."

Certainly, however, not as a person or example to follow.