Joe Shaya is an elite runner on the Track and Field team at Brother Rice High School. He has been running for four years, receiving his varsity letter as a freshman. Get to know why he was voted Favorite 1,600m runner in Track and Field in our Spring Fan Choice Awards!
Why track:
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Joe takes being an athlete seriously. He says that what he enjoys most about track is the 'grind' of the training that is required to stay competitive, both the distance running and the shorter workouts.
Of all of his strengths the one he considers to be his most valuable is his toughness. This is due to advice coach Bob Stark gave him, "...always be mentally tough, embrace the pain, and finish every race strong."
Before and after each race:
Before each race he makes sure he keeps his energy high by eating right and staying in the right mental state. He says a prayer, then goes over the race plan one last time with his coach.
Once a race is finished it's a totally different story. Instead of the all business attitude he switches to relaxation mode, getting his mind totally off the race to prevent burnout.
If he wins, his parents say you can find him smiling from ear-to-ear.
How Joe's family feels seeing him run:
We spoke with Joe's parents about his athletic carreer so far.
4Frenzy: How do you feel watching Joe run track?
Joe's parents: We as parents have a great source of pride seeing him do something he loves.
4F: What is your favorite memory?
JP: The favorite memory we have of Joseph is seeing him get a varsity letter in track and cross country as a freshman.
4F: How does Joe act after a win? How about a loss?
JP: Joseph smiles a lot after a win, and very quiet after a loss.
Fun Facts:
Outside of playing sports, some of Joe's favorite things are listening to rap music and eating cheeseburgers.
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