Star Student’s Athlete: Dacula's Daniel Overcame Obstacles

DACULA, GA — We all know student athletes who also bring their A-game to other parts of their lives.

Here at Patch, we've launched an initiative to help recognize these heroes making a difference in their communities. We’re working to let all your neighbors know the individual stories behind the leaderboard.

This submission comes from Rita Bell, who nominated Daniel of Dacula.

Star student athlete’s name

Daniel

Star student athlete’s home state

Georgia

Star student athlete’s Patch town

Dacula

How do you know the star student athlete?

He's my son.

What sport does the star student athlete play?

Cross country and track

Why do you believe the star student athlete should be recognized?

Daniel should be an athlete nominee because he has truly shown what it means to be an overcomer. (A year and a half ago), he couldn't even run a mile without stopping to walk. He dreaded Presidential fitness testing throughout elementary and middle school because he just could not perform to the standards of the testing. His anxiety held him back in so many ways and created self doubt in his abilities. Fast forward to the summer before freshman year, when he decided to try something new. Even his coach approached me on the first day and wanted to know if there was anything more he needed to know about Daniel because he just wasn't "getting" the instruction being given. I assured the coach that even through his anxiety, Daniel would on his own put in extra work until he "got it" and would probably be the hardest working member of the team. Daniel did just that. He came home after summer practices and set up obstacle courses, laid out salmon ladders, plotted courses of specific lengths and put in extra work after having worked out for two hours each morning with the team. He started his first cross country ninth-grade races in the 22:30 minute range for a full 5K and has continued to work hard and has found that running is now a passion, not something to dread. Being a member of a team has given him an outlet and has given him a new friend base and that alone has increased his confidence and reduced his anxiety. He has found himself on the varsity team running an impressive 17:12 5K now, reducing his time by over five minutes from just over a year ago. He is not only thriving on the race course, but is also a fantastic student and role model. His coach has taken note of his efforts and does now refer to him as the most dedicated, hardest worker on the team. Daniel was even named by Milesplit as the third most improved sophomore runner in the state over the past year. Daniel is now setting his sights on continuing his running career into college and sees himself in such a positive light now, and I'm thankful he's found his passion and as worked through so many doubts and difficulties to get to where he is now.

What's one thing you want everyone to know about the star student athlete?

Labels such as anxiety and mental health issues don't have to define you. It's OK to step out of your comfort zone like Daniel and try something new. Don't let anxiety hold you back from your potential because you could just be missing out on finding your passion in life like Daniel has.

Keep up the great work, Daniel!

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