This story is
very inspiring! As the writer said, “read it with the end in mind.” I really
want to appreciate Ayo for having the courage to share such a powerful story,
one that will inspire our generation and generations to come. In life, we all
have the power to change whatever situation we find ourselves, for the better. Read how Ayo found the courage to change
his. I hope you are inspired as much as I was inspired! Read on, Read it with
your heart :-)
Run with your heart
Guest writer: Ayo Owodunni
I have been
blessed by God to be very talented in running. By the time I graduated from high
school, I was ranked 10th in the country in the 600 meters, 5th
in the state of New Jersey in the 800 meters and top ten in the state in the
400 meter hurdles. I was an all
conference champion 3 years in a row and I was named one of the top returning
track runners in South Jersey twice.
I graduated High School in 2002 and continued my track career at Rider
University.
By the end of my
college career, I held the school record in the 500 meter dash and was also
part of the record breaking 4 by 800 team. I am a three time conference champion in the 400 meter dash and
a four year 4 by 400 meter conference champion. I held the fastest 400 meter time in the conference for
three years in a row and I was fortunate to attend college for free on an
athletic scholarship.
Reading about all
these great accomplishments, one might think, “this kid must have been born
with this amazing talent.” I will say it is an honor for anyone to think so
well of me but my story does not flow that way.
The truth is, I
was never a good athlete growing up.
As a matter of fact I was very horrible. I was clumsy, slow and lazy. I
was labeled a wimp and mama’s boy.
I remember being made fun of as a young boy at Ona Ara Prismoni Children’s
school. I was never one with the
crowd, more like ostracized.
When I was 12 years old, I had the opportunity to move to the US.
One quiet boring day in the
valley of the Springs in Sicklerville, New Jersey, while having a conversation with my cousin, I was advised to
join the track team. “After all,”
said my cousin “you are tall and you’re African. You should be good.”
As it turned out, that random suggestion made a lasting impact.
Trying out
While in 8th
grade at Ann Mullen Middle School, I joined the track team. I tried out for
everything. I ran long distance,
short distance, and mid distance. I jumped, threw the shot put and did
everything else imaginable in the sport.
To cut the long story short, I was too slow to run the short distance and
too lazy to run the longer ones. I
was too clumsy to make those timed and well-defined jumps yet also too skinny
to get better at the shot put.
After going
through a long list of the things I could not do, I was happy to find out that
mid-distance could be very fitting for me. I decided to join the mid-distance group.
My first year of
track was NOT a joke. It was not
as great as I thought it would be. I recollect running a race for about
700 meters and totally quitting towards the end of it. With about 100 meters to go, I fall over and lay on the track because I was just too tired to go on. I also remember running a race
in my basketball sneakers that ended up as a disaster.
The end of 8th
grade labeled me one of the worst runners on the team with no potential. My coach had no faith in me. I remember watching Greg May, Oorie
Gaines, Jacob Hill, Jim Bonnet, Chris Bledsoe and a few other teammates
shine. People rallied around the
track when it was their turn to run.
They were unstoppable!
I graduated 8th
grade and moved on to Highland Regional High School. Once again, I eagerly
joined the track team. Yes I was
one of the worst runners and yes I was told that it might be in my best
interest to find something else for myself but I refused to give up.
The feeling of
being part of a team kept me going.
I enjoyed the friendships, the joy, the fulfillment, the practices and
the competition. I took up another
year of track.
Good mentors, great mentors
Two men changed
my athletic life forever- Bill Collins and Bobby Wagner, head coach and
assistant head coach of the track and field team.
Coach Wagner and
I immediately connected. Wags, as
we would all call him, was a friendly, relatable, funny, nice, loving and
positive coach. He had a great gift of seeing potential in you. He is known to recognize hidden
potential and develop it.
Coach Collins on
the other hand had a completely different style. He was knowledgeable, experienced, and also a great coach
but his approach was totally different. Collins was tough nosed, strict and
very challenging. He told you
things as they were and that was that. If
you ran horrible, he’d tell you.
If you were lazy, he’d say it.
If you’re slacking, he’ll
tell you to get off his team.
Coach Collins was totally amazing, in his own way.
My high school
career started out just as badly as the middle school career. I was once again one of the worst on
the team and track became more of a social gathering than an actual sport
filled with competition. I was
part of the team and going out to track meets but I never saw myself as being
good, so I became comfortable at my present crisis.
The Turning point
I finished my
freshman year as one of the bad runners on the team. I had made slight
improvement in some areas but I was fed up and wanted to truly make some changes. I made a decision to actually do
something. I remember sitting with
coach Wags and chatting with him.
At this point in time, he had become my personal mentor and we had built
a very close and solid relationship.
I recall Wags
telling me over and over again that I would be a great runner.
I was appalled. I just couldn’t fathom how a runner like me could become ‘great.’
I remember asking him why he thought I’d be great and I was really shocked at
his response to my question.
Wags was totally determined
and just had a look in his eyes that expressed his determination to make me the
runner that he saw in me. He was
determined to make me great! It was from him that I learned that indeed,
practice makes perfect. No, more like Practice
builds greatness.
Summer of 1999
That year, I made a deal with coach Wags. The goal was to run everyday over the
summer and spend time with him.
Wags and I decided to work extremely hard and we picked the perfect
time to do it- Summer of 1999.
Summer of 1999
was historic in South Jersey.
There was no rain for months and the state reservoirs were running
really low. People were asked to
conserve water and all kinds of tactics were used to keep things on the
minimum. It was hot and it was
sticky.
The air was humid
and South Jersey was absolutely dry.
Wags and I picked the summer of 1999 as our summer to make a
difference.
Wags and I ran
for an hour, everyday. We worked
on endurance, strength, heart and commitment. By the time track season rolled around, I was a completely
different runner. I was stronger
and faster. I had grown into my
body and I had some power. It was
time to move!
Sophomore year saw a drastic change from the previous two years.
I dropped my 400
time by 7 seconds, 800 time by 20 seconds and the mile by an entire
minute. I went from one of the
worst runners on the team to 13th in South Jersey and top six in my
conference.
What a change in
one year.
I will never
forget the shock my teammates went through. I was that kid who came dead last in practice everyday only
to return the next year as one of the fastest.
By my junior
year, I was the talk of the town.
I was the 2nd best junior (according to the newspapers) and I
was ranked top 5 in South Jersey.
Wags and I were excited.
Our dream is finally coming to pass and his words dating back 2 years
now are finally coming to pass.
Our excitement and accomplishments led us to set new goals for the
upcoming year.
Setting new goals to beat my last performance
I remember Wags
saying to me… “Ayo this year I believe if you put your mind to it, you can
become one of the best runners in the state of New Jersey. As a matter of fact I believe we can
compete at the national level.”
Wags raised the
standards so high for me that I completely shut down. There is no way I’m that good. There’s no way I can compete
at a national level. I am just ranked in little old South Jersey. Not even New
Jersey but the southern region of a huge state.. I began to lose focus as fear
crept in.
I started off the
year not up to par. I was a
disappointment not only to myself but my coaches. I didn’t even qualify for the
state championships or the conference championship. The truth is that there was so much pressure on me that I
completely shut down. I wasn’t ready to lead and I wasn’t ready to be the
best.
I remember doing
the best I could NOT to put myself in positions to win during races. I stayed in my safe haven and rested in
my comfort zone. Even though I was
one of the fastest on my team, I didn’t qualify for any post-season races.
However there was
still hope for me. In the New
year, I made a conscious decision to take the challenge to become the best that
I wanted to be.
The PRESSURE was
on but I was more determined to be the best. I was older and more focused. I ran each race with my heart and a sense of urgency.
Connecting my heart to my race
After the first
race of my senior year, I remember having a long talk with my other coach,
Collins. Coach Collins sat with me
and spoke of our roller coaster journey as coach and runner. He spoke of our love-hate relationship
and we both enjoyed it.
As we spoke that
lovely day during practice, his words stuck to my heart, “Ayo all I want from
you is your heart. I don’t want
you to focus on what place you come in or what you’re ranked. I just want you to run with your heart.
If you give your best, you’d be your best.”
By the end of my
senior year, I was ranked 10th in the country, 5th in the
state of New Jersey and 1st in the Olympic conference. I qualified
to run the 800 and 400 meter hurdles at the nationals. All I did that senior year was run with
my heart. God blessed it.
About Guest Writer:
8 comments:
What an inspirational story, Ayo! It reminded me of the days I used to run. I did the 800 M relay. 1600 M run, and 3200 M run. I was too slow to sprint and couldn't throw to save my life, but I did very well in the long distance races.
Unlike you, I opted out of track after high school...didn't think I was good enough. Who knows what would have happened if I had done otherwise?
I enjoyed reading this story and thank Jennifer for sharing it. The morale is to always believe in you. You made it not just because your coach believed in you, but because you believed in yourself.
All the best!
Wow! Ayo,this's really deep.thank u too 4 sharing this and making us understand that if we set our hearts to anything we're good at,we'd become the best.
Awesome! Another story that asserts the power of persistence, determination and sheer diligence. Thanks Ayo for sharing this piece.
Awesome! Another story that asserts the power of persistence, determination and sheer diligence. Thanks Ayo for sharing this piece -Francis Anyaegbu
Ayo! Though it's been awhile, your gigantic heart to lead and inspire has left an impact on each of the members of the Hartford Church of Christ that will never be forgotten! They say each of us is a celebrity to say, 15 people... but now that you're on the Air, the rang of folks you can touch with your gift of optimism and positive attitude will certainly be tremendous! Did you know I did hurdles in Jr high too? (X-country in H.S.) -But never took it to the next-level. Been meaning to go for a run. I'd love to complete a marathon one day. Yours is a message to be a champion, and thank you for sharing this account of the adversity that you've overcome. You're welcome back whenever you're ready for a US vacation! Sincerely, PJ
Brilliant.
Hmmm, i can't wait to get of my own comfort zone & do exploits too!
Great story, Ayo. I hope it never ends* not literally though, then you're left alone on earth, nah!*
Ayo the boss! This is one powerful experience. Hope I can share on my blog and reach out to my valued readers.
Ayo I am blow away by this great inpiration story of yours, this is a proof that no one on earth is born a champion. I.e champions are those who under 2ro the process of personal discovering of wat dey are born with. Any one can Succeed thank you Ayo.
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