Athlete Tribute: Calvin Olbes

Perseverance, a strong mentality and sheer willpower are crucial to athletes in any competitive sport. They must dedicate numerous hours to finetune their errors, have the drive and positive energy and believe that they will emerge victorious at the end of the day. Calvin Olbes, a senior on the  track and field and cross country team at Valencia High School, is a revered athlete who has displayed these characteristics throughout his career as a runner.

Unlike many of the student athletes who select their respective sports before entering high school, Olbes had no idea that he would choose track and cross country as a  9th grader.

“Freshman year I started with Physical Education and my teacher told me I should do track, so I started that year,” explained Olbes. “Turned out, I really loved running and I joined cross country again during my sophomore year.”

Like any other sports, cross country and track and field require dedication and discipline. People generally tend to look past the fact that the aforementioned sports are not exclusively about running to see who achieves the best times and records.  The mental struggles that a runner endures during a meet is something Olbes is all too familiar with.

“There comes a moment in every race where we tell ourselves that we’re not good enough or that we should slow down,” said Olbes. “It takes a certain amount of inspiration within us to reignite our will and pick up the pace again to the finish line. That’s what sets us apart from other sports, our mental endurance.”

Great skill and finesse do not come to someone in a day. Gratifying results are achieved from long hours of practice and willpower. Because of his competitive nature, Calvin challenges himself and seeks to attain new records. This inspirational feat does not go unnoticed from his peers.

Junior Nick Yamamoto said, “Calvin is a competitive, hard working and determined runner who pushes himself to reach new goals, which allows him to reach new personal records.”

Track and field and cross country are unique in the sense that even though they are team sports, both activities essentially revolve around an individual’s performance during meets. While sports such as basketball and football utilize full cooperation from the players and game plans, runners are not working with fellow team mates under plays and strategies in order to win competitions. Regardless of this, Calvin is a respectful individual and a a voice of motivation that brings the team closer together. His ability to inspire fellow runners represents his incredible leadership skills.  Like a charismatic captain leading his team to victory, Calvin encourages his teammates to achieve the best they can.

“Calvin has a positive attitude, is always ready to work hard when he comes to practice, and consistently pushes others to do their best,” said Junior Alex Allevato.

Just like any other athlete, Calvin follows a unique ritual days before the Valencia High School track and cross country teams compete. To get his adrenaline pumping for impending races, Calvin enjoys watching motivational speeches and fueling himself up with temporary anger against certain players. The combination of uplifting words and determination to beat someone especially motivate him when he competes. On the actual day of the competition, he never forgets these two things.

“I’ll always take a whiff of a menthol inhaler to help me breath and feel fresh.” said Calvin, “Right before the gun I do the sign of the cross and say ‘sweet ride.'”

True to his competitive nature, Calvin already set up goals for track for his final year in high school. Although he is not sure that he will run during college, Calvin has his excellent times to back him up should he decide to join collegiate track and cross country.