Sherry Drury’s eyelashes flutter as she searches her mind for words. English is her second language. She spent approximately 18 months learning it to cross the Pacific Ocean in search of a different perspective.

Drury is from Okayama, Japan, which is known as the “land of sunshine,” yet it wasn’t evident when it came to her passion — distance running. She gained nationwide fame after breaking a course record at age 15 and ran from the limelight while improving her abilities by using YouTube clips and her own workout plans.

Three years later, Drury believes she found a different route at the University of Washington. Still seen as a rising star, the freshman is leading the Huskies women’s cross-country team into the Big Ten Championships on Friday.

“Here, everyone looks like they’re enjoying their training every day,” Drury said recently in her first interview in English. “I didn’t know it could be like that. When I was in Japan, I was studious in my track and field.…