Nyjah ’22 is a boarding student from Bordentown, New Jersey. A team leader for Peddie track, Nyjah shares why it was important for her to develop good relationships with everyone on the team.

Track has been my passion since I was eight years old. When looking into high schools, academics were my first priority, but track was also important. I’d been in touch with Coach Brennan, Peddie’s indoor track head coach, since I was in sixth grade. I knew that Peddie would help me meet my academic goals, and it seemed that with traditions like Peddie-Blair Day, Peddie also had great school spirit and would be fun to attend. But it was when I saw the unity and spirit of the track team that I knew for sure I wanted to be a Falcon. 

It was when I saw the unity and spirit of the track team that I knew for sure I wanted to be a Falcon.”

My commitment to track began during cross-country season the fall of my freshman year. Every day we would run about 4-6 miles with core and speed work after our long runs. These workouts were vital to my growth as a distance runner since endurance is very important in my track events. While the workouts were important, how I interacted with the team was also a huge part of my cross-country experience. There were days when we are all sore but used each other to boost our morale and make it through each and every practice. Cross-country was the beginning of my growth as a team player, as well as working hard individually to give my team better results overall. 

Finally, track season began. Within the first week, we held elections to choose two people from each grade who would act as representatives for the team. I was honored to be elected a member of the Team Leadership Council (TLC) for my freshman class. 

As an experienced runner, I felt I had a lot to offer my team. But the role required more than just running experience; to be an effective TLC leader, I had to take the time to develop good relationships with everyone on the team. My goal was to make every team member’s experience the best it could be. Each day in practice, I would work out with different groups. This not only helped me get to know each of my teammates personally, but it also helped me achieve my personal best times! 
 
I’ve always loved track, but being a part of this team made me appreciate the value of the sport even more. I had workout partners to push me throughout practices and meets, some of whom became my closest friends.