As a student-athlete, excellence for me, often times means constantly trying to be better than I was the year before, and even the week before. Even though there are many challenges and setbacks, seeing improvement in myself makes it worth it. Running track allows me to not only get stronger physically but also mentally, and overall makes me into a better person. Pushing myself at practice, even when I feel like I can’t, helps me focus on what I am doing at that moment and doing it to the best of my ability. Most of the time, as a sprinter, I am racing against the clock and my biggest competitor is myself. I motivate myself by always wanting to become better and understanding that if you work hard, it will pay off. Towards the end of the season, with a series of championship meets, it is nice to showcase the improvements in my times and results and see how well I can compete. My competitive nature sometimes makes it hard for me to lose and I am always wanting to fix any mistakes I previously made. I think one of the reasons I love this sport so much is because it gives me constant, incremental goals to focus on and improve upon, and this approach to achieving excellence also makes me a better student and person in the long run.