Apple Watch Cellular vs GPS

We bought my 15 yr old daughter a GPS Apple Watch 7 for Christmas. I’m considering returning it and getting a cellular Apple Watch instead. She uses her watch to run for cross country and unfortunately the coach does not keep them running with another person. So sometimes she runs 6 or 7 miles alone and she’s not allowed to carry her phone with her and it makes me so nervous. If something were to happen she’d have no way of alerting anyone. So I think it would be best for her to have the cellular version. My question is, if I get her the cellular version and at some point she no longer needs to use the cellular service on it, will it still be able to be used just like the gps watch?