I love Obstacle Course Racing! It is the ultimate test of fitness, and it makes me feel like a character from one of my favorite fantasy books (shoutout to Brandon Sanderson). I push myself to compete at the highest level to for the love of the challenge “Journey before destination” and all that. Beyond competing, my mission in life is to protect and expand on the things that I love. This mission shapes my actions, beliefs, and goals. It requires me to answer a simple but profound question: What do you care about, and why? As I grow and change, my answers will evolve, but this question will remain my guide.
Sports
I love racing and training because they push me to grow, keep me focused, and remind me of how limited time is. The urgency of preparing for races forces me to stop procrastinating and seize the moment. This relentless drive has improved my diet, discipline, and daily habits.
But sports are more than personal growth—they’re also about connection. Racing has introduced me to an incredible community of competitors and friends who are both supportive and dedicated to becoming better versions of themselves.
The Environment
Nature is both my sanctuary and my playground. Protecting natural spaces, clean air, and clean water is critical—not just for health and performance but for life itself. Climate change is an existential threat, and I feel responsible for helping address it.
For me, experiencing the beauty of nature feels almost spiritual. Obstacle course racing (OCR) connects me to the earth in a visceral way—running up mountains, swimming through rivers, and rolling in the mud. It’s freeing and exhilarating. As our lives become more tied to screens and indoor spaces, the ability to escape into the wild and move like an animal becomes even more valuable.
Health
Health is freedom. When my health has limited me—whether through injury, migraines, or brain fog—I’ve been reminded of how essential it is to everything I do. The ability to move without pain and think clearly is something I’ll never take for granted.
Fluency in movement is key to this freedom. Developing proprioception, learning diverse movement patterns, and mastering falling techniques allow me to fully experience life and its challenges. I believe access to good food, healthcare, and movement education can give this same freedom to more people, and it’s something I care deeply about.
Innovation and Education
The ability to think in new ways, to develop, grow, and improve is one of humanity’s greatest capacities. With enough time and resources, I believe humans can accomplish any goal—from saving the environment to improving healthcare to exploring space.
The foundation for this is education. A strong education system fosters curiosity, collaboration, and passion. It creates people who can tackle the challenges we face and bring new ideas into the world.
Personally, I love fantasy books and thoughtful conversations about big ideas—both of which are direct products of passionate, educated people.
Conclusion
Though I don’t always feel it in the moment, I love my life. I want others to experience the things that make my life meaningful: health, competition, growth, education, nature, and freedom of movement
By sharing what I care about, I hope to inspire others to care too. I haven’t yet made the impact I want—on growing the sports I love, protecting the environment, or improving education systems—but I’m working on it. That’s why I chose to study engineering: to identify what matters and figure out how to improve it.