LVRR: What college will you attend and what is your intended major of study? Do you plan to run while attending college?
NR: I will be attending Muhlenberg College and intend on majoring in biology or neuroscience on the premed track. I will be running Cross Country and Track & Field for Muhlenberg.
LVRR: What age did you start running and why?
NR: After much encouragement from my sixth-grade teacher, I decided to run cross country in seventh grade. At the time, I was using it for conditioning for basketball and baseball. I never would have thought running would be my primary sport at the end of my high school career, but I am glad that it worked out the way it did.
LVRR: What is your greatest accomplishment in your running career?
NR: My greatest accomplishment in my running career is being named the EPC Boy’s Cross-Country Scholar Athlete. After working hard through my high school career, I felt extremely honored to receive this award for athletic and academic success.
LVRR: Describe an experience where you had to “sink or swim.” What did you learn from it?
NR: After a disappointing 26th place finish in the EPC Championship race this past fall, I felt like I let my team down with my performance. I knew I needed to finish at least in the top 15 at the District XI Championship race for us to have a chance at making it to the State race as a team. Entering the third mile, I was in the top 20 and knew I had to make some aggressive moves to finish where I needed for my team. By pushing myself, I was able to finish 12th, and although that was not enough for our team to make it to states, I qualified for Hershey individually.
LVRR: Who has been your most influential role model and why?
NR: My most influential role model is my Grandad. I have tried throughout my life to emulate his personality. He is hard-working and puts forth his best efforts at each of his tasks. However, as he is working hard at many tasks, he has a positive attitude in every situation. He is able to take what may be stressful or disappointing to others and move forward with a positive outlook. This is the kind of attitude I hope to learn to have as I mature, and I thank him for showing me how to be this way.
LVRR: What would most people be surprised to learn about you?
NR: I play two instruments. Since third grade, I have been taking piano lessons. I have used this talent at my church youth group in the worship band. I also recently taught myself to play the guitar and am continuing to try to learn.
LVRR: What is one word you would say to someone who has just started running– whether it be a youth in the LVRR Kids Series, or an older individual- about why running is worth it?
NR: Positivity. Running has a lot of ups and downs. There are races and workouts where you feel unstoppable, and there are races and workouts where you want to stop. Through these ups and downs, runners must learn to keep a positive attitude, and this positivity can be applied in all areas of life as you are faced with successes and obstacles.
LVRR: What events did you run in high school?
NR: I ran a 5k for cross country. In track, my main event was the 800m, but I also ran the 400m and 1600m.
LVRR: What is your favorite event to watch that you don’t do yourself and why?
NR: Pole vaulting is definitely my favorite event to watch. I think it is my favorite because I would never have the courage to do it myself. When there are athletes flying in the air ten or more feet above the ground with just a pole, it is impossible to not enjoy watching it.
LVRR: How do you stay motivated when you don’t want to run?
NR: There are definitely days for every runner that you do not feel like running. For me, if I am running by myself, I make sure to get my run in during the morning, not long after I wake up. This forces me to not push it off if I do not feel like running that day. However, one thing that has always helped me stay motivated was my teammates pushing me through every workout and run!
LVRR: What are your favorite pre-race and post-race meals?
NR: Every night before a race, I would eat a big pasta meal. Most of the time, I would eat at home, but sometimes my teammates and I would go out together. Post-race, I enjoyed whatever my mom was making that night, but sometimes I would go out with my teammates instead. Chick-Fil-A was our most visited spot.
LVRR: What extracurricular activities (outside of running) and community involvement have your participated in?
NR: I am involved in numerous extracurricular activities outside of running both at my school and my church. At school, I was our Senior Class Treasurer and was a part of the Emerging Healthcare Professionals program. I was also a part of National Honor Society, Math Honor Society, and Science Honor Society. Through my church, I am a volunteer with the Special Needs children classroom, I am a member of the Local Outreach Team, and I am a Student Leader of our Youth Group.
