Embodying what it means to be a student athlete
By Sean Hamilton, Staff Writer //
With his lightning speed on the track and his exceptionally bright character, many are led to believe that Paul O’Donoghue simply has superpowers. Although he does look like the next logical choice to replace Chris Evans in “The Avengers,” O’Donoghue can explain his success as a merely mortal being. You see O’Donoghue’s races begins long before he reaches the starting line. He isn’t just one of the smartest and most athletic people you’ll ever meet, but he’s just one of the hardest working.
How do I know this? Well, I lived with him. Flash back a year ago, and I can remember just how obvious it was that he had to sacrifice essentially all of his time in order to reach his goals, especially in a sport as personal as running. Not only did he have to wake up early for class every single day, but he also had to get all of his work finished before tackling his long runs. He had to eat healthy with his teammates and then go to his job in the library. He had to try to manage to get a good night’s sleep, which was not easy considering that he was living in arguably the noisiest dorm on campus. He did this just about every single day. I felt exhausted for him, and I didn’t even physically experience his regiments. You can only admire that kind of willpower from somebody whose sport is often considered a standard punishment in others.
Fast-forward seven months and O’Donoghue was awarded the title of Big South Indoor Track and Field Scholar Athlete of the Year. Additionally he was named All-Conference for both the 800-meter and the fan-favorite 4×400 meter relay events. O’Donoghue was one of 16 track and field athletes recognized with All-Big South honors. These are just some of the most recent accolades in his career at High Point University, as he has also placed second in the Big South 800m race, fifth in the mile, and was a part of the record setting team which holds the HPU 4×400 relay record. His favorite race is the 800m, and his current personal best is 1:52.80.
Many college athletes can attest to the rigors of balancing schoolwork and practice, as it is already considered one of, if not the hardest lifestyle one can live while in college. The hectic routine includes early morning practices, lift schedules, and game preparation. These habits are about as necessary as your diet and sleep. Now think about how challenging schoolwork is when you are in season. The interesting thing about track and field at the collegiate level is that there are actually two seasons. In the fall, the athletes participate in indoor events, then in the spring, these same athletes have an outdoor season. The time in-between seasons is spent preparing for the transition, in the relatively cold weather.
“Practice makes perfect,” is a common saying in athletics. However, it isn’t necessarily the truth. A better way to possibly phrase this could be recited as, ”Perfect practice makes perfect.” O’Donoghue has lived by this model his entire athletic career and it has helped him get to where he is at today.
“Running is all about giving that extra one percent,” O’Donoghue said. “You have to get your workouts and your running in, but you spend twenty hours away from practice every day.”
“That’s 20 hours of getting good sleep, eating right and getting all of your classwork done. All of the little things eventually add up to the results you want to see. Just going to practice isn’t enough if you want to excel.”
One of O’Donoghue’s idols is Nick Symmonds, a professional 800m runner for the United States Olympic team. Not only is he a world-class athlete, but he is also a huge fan of track and field and he wants to promote the sport. Running has a lot to do with politics and there are fewer opportunities for American runners than there are for runners in other countries. Most countries support track and field through their own government, however in the United States it is almost completely organized by private corporations. You pretty much have to get sponsored by Nike, Adidas, etc.
O’Donoghue enjoys playing baseball and basketball when he is not consumed by his life on the track. He is an avid fan of New England sports teams, especially the Boston Red Sox and Celtics. He dedicates a lot of his success to his family who follow his every step of the way and his teammates who help him push harder with every run.
He also thanks his assistant coach Nate Thiesfield for all of his success and help on the track. “He came in my sophomore year, and I owe a lot to his training,” O’Donoghue said. O’Donoghue believes that one of the great things about HPU is that the work environment of the athletes around him have really inspired him to reach heights he had never reached before. “My roommates (fellow distance runners Christopher Colo and Paddy Grandinali) have really helped me strive to improve.”
O’Donoghue, who is currently a junior, carries a 3.90 grade point average. He has won three individual medals in his career thus far. He was a Big South Presidential Honor Roll Student in 2012-13 and has been a Millis Scholar athlete in all three years of his HPU attendance.
His favorite classes are his education classes. “There is a lot more to teaching then it appears. You’d think it would be easy to teach just because you see your teachers do it, but that’s not exactly the case. I have really enjoyed learning how to deal with different cultures and different kids,”O’Donoghue said.
He hopes to pursue a master’s degree and become a high school teacher and also wants to coach track and field in the near future.
You can catch O’Donoghue and all of the track and field athletes (both men and women) in action at the Big South Championship meet, which is a three-day event beginning on May 14 at HPU’s Vert Stadium.