Daniel Reyes, 17. Varsity cross-country captain, 4:38 miler, and founder of our school's mindfulness club. I race on Saturdays and teach breathing on Tuesdays.
55 miles a week in peak season. Every run logged, every lesson kept — in the journal and the legs.
Team captain, 2× state qualifier. 5K PR 16:12. I learned pacing the hard way — by going out too fast, twice.
4:38 / 9:56. The mile is four laps of honesty. My kick lives on the backstretch.
Founded "Breathe First" — 25 members, Tuesday sessions before school. Breathwork for test days and race days alike.
Coach middle-schoolers at Saturday fun runs. Their finish-line faces > any medal of mine.
"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." — John Bingham
Freshman year I finished dead last in my first 5K and walked the final hill crying. Senior year I'm captain. The difference wasn't talent — it was 5AM alarms, a patient coach, and learning to love the boring miles.
"Daniel dragged our whole pack to state with him — literally and mentally. He runs the breathing sessions before finals week too."
— Maya, teammate · ★★★★★ (if teammates gave stars)
Four seasons of a runner. There are no shortcuts — that's the good part.
First 5K: 24:31, walked a hill, cried. Kept the race bib. Still have it.
400 miles a summer. Dropped 3 minutes. Learned easy days are easy for a reason.
State qualifier + founded mindfulness club after bombing a final I over-stressed.
Leading the pack, chasing sub-16, applying to run DIII in college.
Every PR earned the slow way. Next targets marked with →.