Bryan Zhao’s heart pounds as he awaits the baton. He feels the rain pattering against his skin, the sting of cold wind on his cheek. Through the frigid temperature, a drop of nervous sweat rolls from his eyebrow to his chin. He takes a deep breath and glances towards the crowd. He shifts his position slightly, leaning forward and reaching his hand backward, grasping for his baton.

In Zhao’s sophomore year, he qualified for the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League in the 100-meter and 200-meter sprints, continuing his long career in track and field since his days at Miller Middle School. SCVAL, a large conference of high school athletes selected by fitness, was a large milestone for Zhao to achieve.

“I was definitely nervous because it was probably the farthest I’ve gone, and it was definitely scary,” Zhao said. “I had some self-doubt as to whether or not I’d qualify for that race, so I was focused on having fun and trying to do my best that day.”

Zhao looks back on his journey to track with pride, remembering the ups and downs, and more importantly, how he strived to improve himself every day. He remembers that he’ll always keep running through rain and wind.

“Being the best isn’t just a status, it’s also a mindset,” Zhao said. “I kind of brought that out into everything else in my life.”