Growing up, I was an active kid. I went hard in gym class, wanted to be the fasted in blacktop races, and always chose going to the park over arts and crafts. As I grew older, athletics became a controlling factor in my life, they began to shape my identity as a teenager, and soon simple days on the field with my sister became recruitment videos and national tournaments. I did sports because I was good at them, and i like them because I was good at them. The one thing that always seemed to be missing from my athletic journey though, was a consistent coach. Now let me clarify. By consistent I mean has been with me for more than two seasons. In theory, that shouldn't be a hard task to accomplish, in practice however, I have had 7 different track coaches in high school alone, and i'm a junior. And by coach i mean someone who has legitimately felt like a coach, and not a well paid babysitter. However when i entered by freshman year of winter running, doe eyed buyt fire in my soul ready to grind it out everyday to be as good as I could, I was met by a 5’2 partially balding man with 3 stopwatches around his neck and a look in his eyes that could rockey bell boa almost have some respect for him. Im describing my high School track coach, Kevin Bigelow. Coach, role model, motivator, babysitter, doctor, may I even say homie? No coach has ever exerted the time and energy and passion into my effort and success as a athlete. His knowledge of the sport matched with the “i get your in pain but I dont give a s***. Work hard” mentality has shaped me into the runner I am today.