What is your name and grade? My name is Jason Kim and I’m a Junior. 

What inspired you to do Cross Country? To be honest, it was just my love for running. I didn’t join because any friends were on the team or someone asked me to join. Many people despise running, but I am one of those people who does it out of sheer enjoyment. Joining was one of the best decisions of my life. I met many new friends and made many great memories. I also got much healthier.

How would a friend describe you? My friends would probably describe me as skeptical and critically thinking. I always question everything and try to formulate my own opinion on a topic or situation. I usually analyze multiple viewpoints of things and ask lots of questions. They would also probably describe me as nice and positive. It is important to always see the good in everything. Currently, I am not running due to injury, and running is something that brings me joy. Despite this, I am not letting my injury drag me down. I know that it is only temporary, and whenever there is an injury, there is healing.

What are your hobbies? I have many hobbies, but my favorites are coin and stamp collecting. (Numismatics and Philately). There is so much to learn from collecting coins and stamps. I remember that my knowledge from the hobby helped me understand US History better. It’s amazing being able to hold in your hand a physical representation of the past.

What is your favorite movie, tv show, book, or video game? I love to watch movies and read books. I used to play a lot of video games when I was younger but I kind of stopped after the Corona Virus. My favorite movie series would have to be the Indiana Jones series. I’ve probably watched each movie (except Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) 10+ times. Recently, I read a book called Ancestral Voices. It is a book about how forgotten ancient languages were deciphered.

What are you passionate about? I am very passionate about my faith in God. Developing a relationship with God changed my life. Honesty, if it wasn’t for getting to know Him, I would not be where I am today. He healed me and saved me from so much and can do the same for you. 

What are you planning to study in college? Honestly, I have no idea what I want to study in college, but many people don’t, especially at my age. I enjoy math and science, especially physics which combines both, and history. I can see myself going into either of those fields, but only time will tell.

What is your greatest memory you have in your track/cross country experience? There are so many great memories I have from track/cross country. I would have to say one of my best memories was when I just got back from injury (I have been injured a lot) and was put into the RC 4 x 800 relay. In track, RC stands for “Runner’s Club” and is essentially a “punishment” for sprinters. Well, this punishment was putting some sprinters in the 4 x 800, which is a pretty long distance for some of them. I wasn’t on RC or anything, but my coach wanted to put me into a race. I ended up subbing for a guy. Because it was a punishment race and we didn’t care if we won, my coach told me to take it easy as I was coming back from injury, so I did. I was just jogging the whole time but it was so fun. I was the anchor (the last person in the relay), and I was just jogging, finishing the race. At this point, we were 2nd to last. The guy behind me was really trying, struggling to bring his team out of last place. At my “jog” pace, I knew he was going to beat me, but I kept jogging, listening to what my coach had told me. Alas, it was the last 100 meters. I was refraining myself from running faster and knew this guy would beat me, but then I heard a voice say, “Don’t be afraid to beat him!” It was my coach. I looked back at the guy, running almost behind me, looked forward, and ran without looking back. It was hilarious as that guy was not expecting it. He really thought he was going to pass me, and he was trying his hardest. But no. I did something completely unexpected. It was such a fun race.

What are you most proud of? Without saying this in a prideful way, I am very proud of my accomplishments, both in running and academics. I put lots of effort into almost everything I do (sometimes too much effort), but it really pays off. Currently, I have all As and am doing really well in school, and before I got injured I was doing really well in Track. My mindset is to always strive for the best and don’t settle for mediocrity. There is no limit to what you can do, as long as you push yourself hard and strive for your goal. 

What inspired you to do track/cross country? Honestly, I didn’t know if I would even join Track last year. When I ran off-season cross country, I was asked that question, but I had no idea what track would entail. I ended up joining anyway, with many questions unanswered. I was automatically put in distance track (long distance events), and it was literally Cross Country part II. Most of the guys from Cross Country were there and it was amazing. I was getting really good too, but then I got shin splints, but still, I had such a great time.