Born to Run?
By Tristin Whyte
When I joined the track team I didn’t run at first. I worked on the shot put and a little bit of sprinting. Running is not something I took seriously.
My year of running and school athletics began after I was done being a punk little jerk to everyone in the sixth grade and middle school. The change was not easy. When I began ninth grade I was still a jerk, somewhat, not really caring about anyone else but me. I was still getting into trouble a lot.
For some reason in the middle of ninth grade I started to change my act. Although I still had some moments, in general I stopped being a jerk. I still wasn’t taking track or cross country seriously, although I thought I was improving. My grades were slipping and my cross-country time (about three miles) was 33 minutes or something like that.
In the 11th grade I started to lose weight. I took notice and started running more. I kept my grades on track. I changed my behavior. Now I run every day. I’m improving in a number of different ways, including my worth ethic. Now my time is 21-something minutes.
I feel faster. My mechanics have improved, likewise my attitude. I’ve come to realize that a good athlete is not judged by what he does on the field, the track, the court or the ice, but by how he conducts himself around others. An athlete is judged according to heart, mind and attitude. It’s heart for compassion, it’s mind for wisdom, and it’s attitude to push forward. Sharing our knowledge and experience with someone else – that’s what an athlete is to me.
Running makes my body feel great. It relaxes my mind. It motivates me. My soul feels clean. I’m glad I changed my life and my health, even though my legs hurt most of the time.
Change is hard, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Work hard and you can change. I wish I had told myself that a long time ago.
By Tristin Whyte
When I joined the track team I didn’t run at first. I worked on the shot put and a little bit of sprinting. Running is not something I took seriously.
My year of running and school athletics began after I was done being a punk little jerk to everyone in the sixth grade and middle school. The change was not easy. When I began ninth grade I was still a jerk, somewhat, not really caring about anyone else but me. I was still getting into trouble a lot.
For some reason in the middle of ninth grade I started to change my act. Although I still had some moments, in general I stopped being a jerk. I still wasn’t taking track or cross country seriously, although I thought I was improving. My grades were slipping and my cross-country time (about three miles) was 33 minutes or something like that.
In the 11th grade I started to lose weight. I took notice and started running more. I kept my grades on track. I changed my behavior. Now I run every day. I’m improving in a number of different ways, including my worth ethic. Now my time is 21-something minutes.
I feel faster. My mechanics have improved, likewise my attitude. I’ve come to realize that a good athlete is not judged by what he does on the field, the track, the court or the ice, but by how he conducts himself around others. An athlete is judged according to heart, mind and attitude. It’s heart for compassion, it’s mind for wisdom, and it’s attitude to push forward. Sharing our knowledge and experience with someone else – that’s what an athlete is to me.
Running makes my body feel great. It relaxes my mind. It motivates me. My soul feels clean. I’m glad I changed my life and my health, even though my legs hurt most of the time.
Change is hard, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Work hard and you can change. I wish I had told myself that a long time ago.