Competing at the highest level in sports is not uncommon at Strath Haven, but being selected as an All-American is almost unheard of. Alexa Brown has earned the title, and it was because of her exceptional skills in shot put.
The title of All-American is an annual award bestowed upon exceptional high school athletes in each sport. In Brown’s case, shot put.
Shot put is a track and field sport, where the player will throw a heavy sphere, known as a shot, as far as possible from a marked spot.
To achieve such a feat, one must not just be an exceptional athlete, but a person that goes far beyond expectations, a person you look at and admire.
“It’s incredible, I never thought I would get to have this feeling,” Brown said. “It is less about the title and more about proving to myself that if I put my mind to it I can make my dreams a reality.”
Throughout Brown’s high school career, judgment has been extremely prevalent. She said she constantly faces the doubts of others.
“The fact that when I walked through life, people had predetermined my life story by looking at me,” she said. “But when I stepped into that circle, I proved everyone wrong.”
Brown uses judgment as a point of improvement, as she believes allowing judgment to affect her negatively might take away her love of the sport. Brown’s optimistic thinking has allowed her to view her future in shot put as far from over.
“I will be competing in Division One for the next four years,” Brown said. “I’m planning on switching to rotational put which will increase my distance. I want to win collegiate titles and become stronger and faster. I want to go professional and make it to the Olympics one day. Truthfully, I want to be seen as the greatest shot putter ever.”
Although she does have great confidence in herself, she doesn’t deny that reaching this point was difficult. She acknowledged the fact that she, like anybody else, has failed.
“There will be days that you will want to quit the sport and never look back, but those are the days you need to push yourself the most,” Brown said. “Trust yourself, believe that you can do it because if you don’t believe in yourself, you can’t expect yourself to perform well.
Brown’s determination is vivid in the way she interacts with her sport.
“Being competitive is a great quality, but you must remember your competitors are people too,” she said. “It’s fine to make friends on other teams but once the match begins, they are no longer friends. Winning is fun, but if you can’t accept or learn from your failures, you risk holding yourself back.”
Her love for the shot fuels not only her desire to win, but also her dream to inspire others.
“I just hope people see my picture and it motivates them as all the other athletes on the wall did for me,” Brown said. “I’m glad I can be remembered in Strath Haven’s history.”
