“Sport trains body and spirit for perseverance, effort, courage, balance, sacrifice, honesty, friendship and collaboration.” “Give thanks to God for the gift of sport, in which the human person exercises his body, intellect and will, recognizing these abilities as so many gifts of his Creator.”

I loved my time running for the Saint Sebastian Arrows. Running for SSA taught me what it meant to be on a team that thinks and functions like a family. The camaraderie, encouragement, positivity, competitiveness, and yet the overall desire to see each member of the team succeed was something I had never seen before all in one place. The student body at SSA is warm, caring, and inviting; it’s because of the coaching leadership that we as students are situated to both grittily compete at the same time as fiercely caring for each other with genuine loyalty. Coach Long, in particular, pushed us to reach our God-given potential by simultaneously personalizing rigorous, specialized workouts and staying by our side to help us through the setbacks, while teaching us to do the same peer-to-peer. During my high school years with SSA, I placed 2nd in the 800m at AAU Indoor Nationals, was a 2017 AAU Junior Olympics Qualifier, placed 2nd at the Virginia State Catholic Meet, and made the 2018 Footlocker All-South Team.  Being a part of SSA was truly a once in a lifetime experience where I made lifelong memories and friends and learned invaluable lessons. Part of what makes SSA so unique is the impact that every athlete has on the team, no matter the skill level or age. As Mother Teresa put it “I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things.” Looking back on my time with SSA, this is exactly the type of quote the team embodies. SSA as a whole taught me what it meant to be a tenacious and gutsy athlete, which led to the generous scholarship offers I received and ultimately allowed me to enroll at my top choice college as a distance runner. As Proverbs 27:17 says “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another,” and that is exactly what my SSA experience has been.

My time running with St. Sebastian Academy was a highlight of my time in high school. As much as I enjoyed the running, I am most grateful for the way I grew as a person while there. Due to undiagnosed Lyme disease and continual injuries, my athletic record was not what I wanted it to be. It was frustrating not being able to perform as well as I could have. However, no matter how I ran or what time I earned, I was treated just like every one of the other athletes. Through it all, Coach Patsy Long stuck by me and supported me as I recovered. During my last track season, I remained healthy and faithfully followed every workout my coach gave me. This enabled me to break some personal records I had been unable to touch for years and I  anchored our relay team to some big wins. Looking back, I realize I learned many things that would help me not only in academics and running, but also in my everyday life. I learned to work hard, to trust my team and my coach, and, ultimately, to persevere in difficulty. Now I have graduated and am off to pursue my undergraduate degree in health sciences with the goal of pursuing a Doctorate in Physical Therapy.  As an added bonus, I also have the opportunity to run collegiately on an athletic scholarship! Both of those things seemed like a dream to me and now they are a reality. I am so grateful to have been a part of the SSA program. Never give up!

St. Sebastian Academy (SSA) has been a huge blessing in my life, and I have grown so much as a person since becoming an SSA student-athlete.  The coaches, especially Coach Long, are experienced, knowledgeable, encouraging, and interested in the person as a whole - not just the athlete.  SSA has given me the opportunity to thrive as a person and an athlete by gaining confidence, building character, providing outstanding opportunities in competition, and realizing the importance of a hard work ethic.  Since joining SSA, I have become an AAU All-American placing third at cross country Nationals (2017), ranked among the top twelve runners in the DMV area in track and field (2018), became 800-meter champion at Colonial Relays (2018), set personal records, and earned a Division I scholarship to Mount St. Mary's University.  I have also been given the role of team captain which has provided me with leadership experience and skills that I will carry with me into the future.  Faith is an integral part of the sports program which I love because it shows the bigger picture of why we participate in sports.  Prayer brings us together and strengthens the team camaraderie.  I feel comfortable leading prayer huddles before races and games because everyone believes in the importance of faith.  My SSA experience has provided me with valuable encounters in faith, close friendships, a supportive team environment, leadership roles, opportunities to use my gifts for God's glory, a future in running, and many amazing memories that I will never forget.  My time in SSA has been blessed with encouragement and motivation from my coaches and teammates.  Their support has been invaluable through my high school years, and I am so grateful for Saint Sebastian Academy.  It has truly been an answer to prayer!