Walking with a sore foot is pretty difficult. Jogging a mile with a hurt knee would be an impossible feat for most people. Running in cross country with shin splits is a feat that can only be done with incredible determination. Done by a man who bears the passion of a runner: senior at The Village School, Kishan Patel.
Patel has been running since 6th grade, but spent more time running in 7th grade. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Patel spent most of his time at home, when he really started exercising. “We kind of made it a family thing,” Patel said. According to Patel, this passion for exercising runs in his family. His siblings also run cross country, and were the ones who pushed him to start. 2 years later, Patel found himself a freshman at The Village School, when he started taking running seriously. As a freshman, he started off with breathing trouble and nasal congestion. He surpassed this by using different breathing techniques. On top of this, in his freshman year, he ran with the painful injury of shin splits, but this still did not stop him. “I wanted to keep running,” Patel said, “ I was pretty stubborn about it.”
Eventually, he did have to stop practicing after Michael Walker, coach of the cross country team, told him too.
Fast forward to his senior year, for 2 years, he has been captain of the cross country team. As captain, he leads the team in stretches and is always there to provide advice for inexperienced runners and give support to fellow teammates. Getting closer to the end of his time at The Village School, Patel, who wants to be a runner for his whole life, has set out different goals. His biggest goal is finishing a 5-kilometer race in under 17 minutes. “At the state level [TAPPS running competition], it would place you in the top ten…it’s a pretty competitive time,” Patel said. Though Patel is not able to reach this goal yet, he claims he will keep driving at it until he can.
From running with shin splits to obtaining a lifelong spirit for the sport, Patel has rightfully earned the title of the runner who will never stop. “ Gotta’ put the pain at the back of your head,” said Patel.
