**The media below contains the opinion of an individual student and therefore does not represent or speak to the values of Vestavia Hills High School and Vestavia Hills City Schools**
This week, I interviewed ten track athletes to get a sense of how they feel about their sport. The athletes I spoke to were either sprinters (60 meters to 400 meters), jumpers (long jump, triple jump, and high jump), or hurdlers.
Many have been doing track since middle school or even elementary school with their track careers ranging from two to six years.
When asked what her favorite thing about track is, 2nd-year sprinter Kaeli North says, “I love the community, making friends, and running together.” The track community was a common favorite among the interviewed athletes. Sprinter and hurdler Kai Armstrong loves “how the team is like a family” and 6th-year long jumper Lily Paulk similarly said her favorite thing is “the positive community it gives you.” Another favorite thing about track is “the sport itself,” according to 4th-year track athlete Emily Jin. Olivia Richardson agrees, as her favorite part is that “it keeps me better in shape and I get to meet so many new people.” Additionally, Allen Dye appreciates that “you’re competing against yourself.”
Many of the interviewed athletes said their main goal is to get a PR (personal record) in their event or to just “get better in general,” according to Olivia Richardson. Others aspire to run in college and in the state meet this year, while some athletes, like Lily Paulk, want “to just enjoy the season this year.”
While deciding their track goals for this year was relatively easy, the athletes had the hardest time and the most varied responses to answering why they run track. Some appreciate the sport itself. Ava Patterson sums this up by calling track an “individual, yet team sport.” Others run for self-discipline. Lily Paulk loves “the positive experience [track] gives me and the self discipline I learn from it.” 2nd year sprinter Ivana Phillips agrees with Lily, as she runs track “to discipline [herself].” Alternatively, others run track for the people. Kai Armstrong says track is “a lot of fun to do with [his] friends” and Charlie Blair loves “getting to hang out with [his] friends and run.”
To finish out each interview, I asked if the athletes prefer to run in the heat or the cold and if they like indoor or outdoor season better. Weather preference is almost evenly split and most of the athletes have a strong opinion. Every interviewed athlete prefers outdoor season over indoor because, as Emily Jin puts it, “that’s when the real competition starts.”
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