Oscar Felegy is the 2023 recipient of the Ed Thompson Memorial Scholarship.
LVRR: What college will you attend and what is your intended major of study? Do you plan to run while attending college?
OF: I will be attending Penn State to study nuclear engineering. I plan on continuing to run and compete with their Cross Country/Track Club team.
LVRR: What age did you start running and why?
OF: I began running when I was 13 because I was watching the television series The Flash, and I guess I wanted to feel what it felt like to run that fast. Every day that spring, I would head outside and do an all-out sprint around my block and try to see if I could go faster each day. Back then, I decided I wanted to be a sprinter since they run the fastest, and because running for long distances seemed really tiring. However, that fall my parents made me run cross country with the middle school, and from there I fell in love with the sport and distance running in general.
LVRR: What is your greatest accomplishment in your running career?
OF: I would say that the greatest accomplishment of my running career was winning the EPC Track and Field Scholar-Athlete award for this past season; it was a huge honor to be recognized for my athletic accomplishment in conjunction with my academic achievement.
LVRR: Describe an experience where you had to “sink or swim.” What did you learn from it?
OF: In my junior year at the district track meet, I was the anchor leg of our 4×800 team. Going into the race, we knew we had a chance of getting in the top two and making it to states, but it was going to be close. When I grabbed the baton, our team was in second, but I was up against two runners whose times in the 800 were much faster than mine. I had to go all out if I wanted us to get to States, and I did. I took the race out fast, stealing the lead. Although I did end up getting passed at the end, I still managed to get second, ran a personal best time in the 800 by 2 seconds, and our team was then able to advance to states.
LVRR: Who has been your most influential role model and why?
OF: I would say that my most influential role model has been my dad. Although it might not seem like it sometimes when I don’t listen to his advice, I really respect and admire his knowledge across a large variety of subjects, from business to engineering to running. He was the person who first pushed me to put in the work to become a great runner, and he has continued to inspire me and offer advice throughout my whole high school running journey.
LVRR: What would most people be surprised to learn about you?
OF: I think that most people don’t know that I like to paint. I don’t share my work too often, but just the act of painting is very therapeutic for me; it fills a similar role in my life as running does, so I usually paint the most during my running off-season.
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?
OF: Lucidity. I feel like every time I run it just takes me away from my daily stresses and helps to give me clarity and focus.
LVRR: What events did you run in high school?
OF: In high school, I ran all of the distance events – 3200, 1600, 800, and 4×800 – although this past year I mostly focused on the 3200 and the 1600.
LVRR: What is your favorite event to watch that you don’t do yourself and why?
OF: My favorite event to watch was always the 4×400 relay. It was always at the end of a meet and a lot of my mid-distance friends ran it, so it was nice to get to pour all my energy into cheering them on and not have to worry about preparing to run another event. I also think that the event by itself is neat since it is just as fast as a sprint race but lasts for a good three to four minutes, so there’s room for tactical racing and surprises which makes it really fun to watch.
LVRR: How do you stay motivated when you don’t want to run?
OF: It helps to have friends who can hold you responsible when you don’t run. I’m lucky to have a few great runner friends who will pull me out the door and give me company on the runs I don’t want to do. When they’re not available, I’ll put on some music and tell myself I only need to run one mile – once I get there I’m often in a groove and feel good enough to run the whole distance.
LVRR: What injuries are you susceptible to?
OF: I have weak arches, which leaves me susceptible to plantar fasciitis and ankle instability. Thankfully, I’ve never had severe plantar fasciitis, however, I did sprain my ankle during this past cross-country season which led to me missing an important meet. I now do exercises to help strengthen my arches and ankles, and I have found that running in more natural-shaped shoes like Altras with a wide toe box helps me maintain stability and prevent future injuries.
LVRR: What are three activities you enjoy doing apart from running?
OF: I enjoy playing guitar and writing songs, painting, and 3D printing,
LVRR: What extracurricular activities (outside of running) and community involvement have you participated in?
OF: At school, I was involved with the Science Olympiad, where I medaled in two events in the state competition, TSA TEAMS Engineering Design, where our team placed second in the state, Math League, Science Bowl, and Academic Team. I have also volunteered with various races with the LVRR and I helped with the local middle school track and field club.
