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10/22/2024 11:05 AMOliver Proctor is always drawn to an internal competition when it comes to athletics. He actually had to face quite a personal hurdle right from the starting gate with Valley Regional, though he harnessed it as a positive to become a stellar running star for the Warriors.
The Valley junior actually grew up using his legs not on a path, but rather the slopes by taking part in skiing as young as 2 years old. He did try soccer in elementary school, though he decided in third grade it was not for him. He then decided to run two miles daily during the summer going into eighth grade, and he drew an interest in running competitively. The start to Oliver’s cross country career was delayed due to a broken leg as a freshman, but he fought back to get on the course, and he is now a three-season runner for the Warriors cross country, indoor, and outdoor track squads.
“I love the challenge of running and how hard it is and how you can get better every time you do it. It is an amazing, addictive feeling when you beat your previous best time,” says Oliver. “The biggest thing that has helped me by far is the team and the coaches here. They are so nice and great friends of mine. I think breaking my leg was a positive because there was no lasting damage, and it made me a lot stronger mentally. I am now in a spot where if I am tired in a race, I realize it is not that bad compared to what I have been through.”
While breaking up his meets into thirds, Oliver looks at the sole activity of racing. He explains that sometimes it may be mind over matter, but oftentimes, he finds when he turns off the brain, it helps him pedal forward that much more efficiently.
“I like to break things up into miles for the most part,” says Oliver. “But I do not think of it as pacing but more of just running. I just start running, and then I let my body take over. I have learned that if you overthink it, it becomes harder in your head and on your body, and it becomes sort of a domino effect.”
Olivier is also very grateful for the program and family he is a part of at Valley. He explains that while there may be separate clubs, it truly is in name only.
“I think my school is good at having everyone be so kind. There is no drama on our team,” Oliver says. “I think because we are such a small team with so few people and we are all doing it together, it helps us. It brings us closer together because we are running together through struggles and good times. We also all practice together, so it does not feel like there is a boys’ team and a girls’ team. We just feel like one whole cross country team.”
In the midst of a long haul on the path, Oliver explains it can be rough to keep treading onward. The main element that keeps his motor moving is knowing the final outcome and the incredible emotional lift he will gain from crossing the finish line.
“Whenever it seems tough, I think of the feeling I get when I finish and know it will be so worth it if I give it just a little bit more,” says Oliver. “A lot of times, it is not going all out but just giving a little bit more with your effort to push yourself to do a lot better. When I don't get better, I feel like I failed, and I do not like that. So I avoid that feeling and try a little bit harder.”
Moving ahead to next season as a senior, Oliver has certain time barriers he would love to break. For his running mates, he just wants them to keep striving for their own personal bests, no matter what they may be.
“For myself, I would like to break 19 minutes for my cross country time. I know I am close, and I can do it,” says Oliver. “By next year, I want to be even faster and be in the low 18-minute mark. For the team, I want us to keep pushing and trying harder. It is an individual sport, and in an ideal world, you just want your teammates to do that.”
Valley cross country Head Coach Brian Drinkard marvels at the maturity and durability of Oliver to still try and gut it out through the injury as a rookie. He explains that Oliver can certainly be someone who embodies the qualities of a future leader through his toughness and dedication.
“Oliver has had an impressive career for Valley so far --starting with a freshman year where he was coming off of a serious leg injury. I was so impressed with Oliver as a freshman; he showed up every day and clearly ran through pain,” says Drinkard. “He inspired our team that season with how hard he worked through that recovery. He came back his sophomore year and became one of the top runners on the boys’ team. This past summer, Oliver trained on his own and ran many tough races and has been the top runner for the team once again. We are expecting another good cross country season next year. One of our goals for Oliver is that he can be a leader, and that some of his grit and work ethic rubs off on the younger members of the team.”
Relenting is not an option for Oliver throughout the many miles he has logged over the years. Discretion may be the better part of valor in some circles, though he knows it will never get him to the winner’s circle at any point of his life.
“The most important lesson I have learned through sports and running is to not give up,” Oliver says. “Sometimes it is hard to not give up and so easy to quit, but that feeling of finishing the job is so much better than failing and quitting.”