Stories And Inspiration

Senior Reflects On GO FAR's Impact

Submitted by on Jun 10th 2020 - 12:00AM. | Perma Link

• 
• 
• 

Photo courtesy of Seth Jiles; interview courtesy of Vicky Fowler

Morehead Elementary GO FAR Coach Vicky Fowler interviewed former student Seth Jiles as part of a renewal process for her National Board Certification. She says she wanted to showcase what students have learned from GO FAR and how they use it to find athletic success in middle and high school and beyond. Seth is a 2020 graduate of Grimsley High School who plans to attend UNC Wilmington in the fall. Thank you, Coach Fowler and thank you, Seth. We love to see what GO FAR alumni are up to!

 

How did training for the GO FAR club 5K races impact your decision to play sports and/or continue to compete in running during middle or high school?

Training for the GO FAR races and participating in the races themselves is what actually got me to fall in love with running, and made me decide running sports like XC and track would be my thing when I got to middle school and high school.

 

Can you recall any running tips, fitness concepts or character traits that would have been infused into GO FAR practices? If so has one stayed with you?

One thing that I remember was always to finish a race, no matter how fast you were going. That idea stuck with me as even on my runs now, I don’t stop until I’m done, no matter how fast or slow I am going.

 

What is one running milestone you achieved in high school? 

The best running milestone I have achieved in high school is breaking 17:40 in a 5K, which seemed nearly impossible at one time. From the time I was in 4th grade, just trying to run under 30:00 in a GO FAR 5K, to my senior year of high school, I had been working to accomplish that goal, and it was very satisfying to accomplish.

 

How do you see running or playing sports a part of your life beyond high school?

Running has been and always will be a huge part of my life. I intend on continuing to run for fitness and for fun, and even though I will not have a college running career, I fully intend on running lots of 5Ks and even train and run in a marathon. I am going to continue the sport I love, which I discovered through GO FAR. I started running when I was 9, and I will be running until I cannot anymore!

Perma Link