Filip Pajak '17 Recruiting Profile

I began running in the sixth grade when I decided to give the track program at my middle school a try. At that time I was a competitive swimmer and thought that track would be similar with it's meet structure of different events and point system. This is what prompted me to try track and I ended up enjoying it very much by the season's end. I never seriously started running until the eighth grade after I qualified for the state IESA meet in seventh grade and would say that I found a true passion for the sport in the eighth grade. I was planning on eventually solely focusing on running and giving up my swimming career, but at the time I would train myself by waking up before school and running since swimming would take up the rest of my time after school.

Once high school came around I joined my school's cross country team and was introduced to the idea of running as a team sport. This only made my love for the sport grow, and from then on I knew I not only wanted to run fast for myself, but to improve with and run fast for my team. This is what I truly enjoy about running because I'm not only held accountable for my improvement, but for my teammates' as well. I am very encouraging to my team, have only wanted the best for everyone, and everyone's best effort put forward. Since I've been on my cross country and track teams I have learned to lead by both example and voice, something I find very crucial to a team's success. 

I find myself to be a self-motivated athlete as I set attainable goals for myself each season. This is another aspect I really enjoy of track and cross country because it means that ultimately I am the only one to blame at the end of a season. It's that realness that I love and what pushes me to put the work in everyday. Ever since I found my passion for running, I have always wanted to continue it post high school and hopefully at the school I decide to attend.

Besides running I enjoy wakeboarding at Lake Delavan in the summer, playing video games with my little brother, biking in the summer, and hanging out with both friends and teammates. I'm also really into math and computer science and plan on majoring in computer science during my university studies. I would like to continue both my academic and athletic progress at a school that is a good fit for me and the team, and hopefully fulfill my future aspirations as both a student and runner.