Hard work pays off
Senior becomes better runner by training hard over the offseason
Senior runner Bob Gillespie running in the MCC Championship at Jefferson Barracks, placing tenth.
November 13, 2019
When senior cross country runner Bob Gillespie was going into his last year of running for De Smet, he decided to escalate his work ethic and make his last year the best. Every day he went to Forest Park by himself and ran six miles. His hard work ethic is only one of the qualities that has helped improve the team. The team has looked up to his hard work as an example for them.
“I really wanted to get better because i knew it was coming to the end of the season and it was going to be my last season running,” Gillespie said. “I just felt the need to push myself and if i really wanted to succeed in my senior year, and I think I did that.”
Gillespie knew in in order to get the most out of his senior season he had to push himself harder and farther than ever before. The hard work in the offseason was only the beginning for Gillespie, in order to keep up his hard work ethic he set up goals for the season.
“The results I have seen are that I have just gotten so much faster and I have been able to stay with the pack and with the team,” Gillespie said. “My goal at the beginning of the season was to get out of districts and get below an 18 minute 5k. I have already gotten my 5k under 18 minutes, so now I am trying to get it below a 17 minute 5k.”
His great attitude and work ethic has rubbed off very positively on his teammates and improved the overall environment of the team.
“More people have come to practice and they’re more excited to be there because of the attitude and enthusiasm no one else can bring to the team,” junior cross country runner Connor Pohl said. “It gives us motivation to work hard and try to me his same level of hard work, so we don’t let each other down.”
Gillespie looks to use his hard work ethic from cross country for other sports, including lacrosse this spring. He encourages others to work hard as well.
“But you know if you push yourself everyday, harder and harder, you’ll see the results you want,” Gillespie said. “I just felt the need to push myself and I really wanted to succeed in my senior year.”
