Ayala Senior Samuel Ahn is a member of the Track and Field team at Ruben S. Ayala High School; while he was a member of the team in his freshman and sophomore years of high school, he took a break from the sport in his junior year. The Covid-19 quarantine has affected the lives of many in multiple ways; for Ahn, the transition to online school was the reason for his temporary break from Track.

“I didn’t want to be doing stretches on a zoom call,” said Ahn when asked his reason for his temporary break. “Plus, I wanted to take an AP Class instead.”

However, Ahn returned to the Track team for senior year, as Ayala transitioned back to in-person school with the decrease in Covid cases.

“I played baseball for a bit, but quit because I thought the environment in track was so welcoming and promoted personal growth and self-discovery,” said Ahn when asked why he selected Track out of all the sports offered at Ayala.

“Sha’carri is a great role model,” said Ahn. Aside from looking up to successful figures in the world of track, Ahn also emphasizes the importance of being open to suffering in order to be a successful athlete.

“In track, you have to run, and oftentimes it makes you very tired,” said Ahn. “But I know that in the end, I will be a better runner and athlete.”

Aside from being an athlete in the Track team at Ayala, Samuel also displays characteristics of a good friend and motivator. His friends, Nathan Kim and Kyle Park, share their experiences with Samuel in track and in school.

“My first impression of Samuel was that he radiated positive and friendly energy,” said Nathan Kim, a friend of Ahn and a member of Ayala Track. “When I actually got to know Samuel through Track, my first impression of him turned out to be correct. Samuel became a role model for me, an inspiration to be diligent during practice and outside of practice as well.”

“At first, I thought Samuel was reserved, “ said Kyle Park, Ayala senior and close friend of Samuel Ahn. “When I got to know Samuel, he was actually energetic rather than reserved.”

Kim describes Ahn as a “humble, humorous, and intelligent” friend, as well as a “determined, unfazeable, and inspirational” athlete. Similarly, Park describes Ahn as a “fun, smart, and hardworking” person and a “diligent, talented, and persistent” athlete.