I had started track wondering what this new sport would bring to me. What I would be good at and what I wouldn't be good at. My team was not the best, but I had a lot of good friends right there with me. We were not expected to do good at all as a team. We had to put in a lot of work in and try lots of new things. We put in this work by practicing.

My first practice we go on a 2-mile run, which I was not excited about but surprisingly kept up with the front 4 runners. I was sure I was going to be a 1-2 mile runner. Before the last meet of junior high in practice, we did an 800 as fast as someone possibly could go to see who was going to run it. I ended up beating everybody by a long shot. So that meet my coach put me in the 800 and ended up getting a 2:40, I felt like I was gonna be a good asset coming into varsity, while able to run a good 200, 400, 800, and 1600. Even with my field events, I knew I could do some damage, maybe even in pole vault. We had to work in the offseason.

That offseason I did other sports like a regular athletic kid, I worked out a lot, lifted weights, and got strong and built muscle. Knowing that is exactly what I need to run stronger and faster. First practice on varsity I had no clue what was coming, we ran four 400’s and four 200’s. I was exhausted by the first few 400’s but I knew I had to work if I wanted to get better. At a meet in the middle of the season, I did my first open 800 on varsity. My goal was to keep up with a good teammate. I ended up beating him and got a personal record of 2:31. This was the turning point to my love for running the 800.

The meet I had after I did not get into the 800, so I put myself in the mile. During the race the first half or the first 800 I went a little too fast for being used to the 800. I started to hurt a lot during the last 400 around my lung area, and I was feeling absolutely dead. By the time the last 100 was near, I noticed lots of people were passing me. I had tried my absolute hardest to keep up but I was hurting way too much. I ended up beating my past record by 10 seconds and got 5:42 but I didn't want to feel that pain ever again. I knew that the 800 was for me since then, and I still know I can get better.

Since then I have beaten my record by at least a second every single meet. I have succeeded in my goal of under 2:25, and I could not be happier. I never wanted to run an 800 in the beginning because it was a really hard race. I should have practiced and trained more and harder earlier on, but now ever since I got that I’ve wanted to do the absolute best I could. Because I went all out and wanted it, I have gotten way better and I couldn't be happier. I've learned not to just work hard on new things and learn but also to have a good attitude toward it all. I will be trying my hardest in life and will work at being a good person, and hopefully, that will bring me somewhere.