My name is Brandon Hudgins for all of you younglings and new faces to track and field in South Carolina. I am a runner! As often as I cringe at the sound of that word (runner)... I am and I can’t deny it. I am writing everyone because I feel that too many runners are boring and don't choose to stand for anything. The grinding life of a distance runner is boring most of the time, but that doesn't mean we all have to be boring people and boring athletes!
To tell you've the truth I find very little to be inspired by in track and field anymore. That's why I am speaking up with this blog and other mediums. I'm tired of being quiet, boring and solitary! I feel I have an unique platform to pass on the art and wisdom that I have learned through my life as a distance runner and life fighter. I wish when I was growing up that someone would've been around to part some of this wisdom on me. All of these lessons I will discuss have been learned by being a hard headed brat that didn't like to ever hear no for an answer or listen to authority. So, if I can impart just one piece of wisdom and inspiration on one athlete through this medium, then this blog will have done its job.
So for you kiddies that have no clue who I am (and I don't blame you, I'm getting old!) I graduated from Northwestern High School way back in 2005. While competing at Northwestern I had the wonderful (yet sometimes trying) experience of being coached by my Father, Hall of Fame Coach Calvin Hudgins (or C Hudg is he is so commonly called). Under Pops I had the chance to win a team state championship in XC and an individual State Title at 1600 (more on my relationship with my Dad and coaches later).
My talent and hard work gave me the opportunity to continue chasing my dreams at the NCAA Division 1 level at Winthrop University. My first two years of college flew past with moderate success and many failures. But, as I prepared myself during my junior season things all changed. Little did I know that my tenacity and determination would soon change from the track to fighting for my life. After being absolutely sick and basically incureable for six months during cross country and track seasons my junior year, I was diagnosed with a super rare auto immune disease called Wegener's Granulomatosis. Which in one sense became a relief that they had finally found the problem but also became a huge burden. This disease is something that will have to be monitored the rest of my life.
Once diagnosed I confronted the disease head on. Just like I had my training and racing. I knew it was going to be months of rough treatment and procedures, but I finally had an end goal. To beat it into remission and lace my spikes up once again! The doctor's didn't tell me this at the time, but they seriously doubted that I could make a comeback and race at the the level I had before I was diagnosed. Luckily for me I never asked direct questions or tried to really understand how my life would be impacted. See I don't do well with people of any kind telling me what I can and can't do. Never have and doubt I ever will. It took me nearly two years of treatment and hard work before I was ready to race again. A lot of time had passed since I last wore a school jersey (and now I was wearing one for Appalachian State University). It was a sweet victory getting back on the track and winning again. By the end of my college career at Appalachian State I had helped win six Southern Conference Championships (between track and cross-country) and notched a few individual titles on the track as well as become a NCAA Regional Qualifier at 1500-meters.
I wish this kind of fairy tale like story had a beautiful ending right now, but the reality of the situation is that it has gotten much darker and much worse at times. Since finishing my career at Appalachian State I have chased my dreams of making Olympic Trials and U.S.A. National championship with the desire to spread my art and story. But the last two seasons have been plagued by relapses with my Wegener's, which have also resulted in troubles with anxiety and depression. Twice I have even decided that it all wasn't worth it to me anymore and I gave up the sport. But I couldn't stay away.
There is this fire raging in the pit of my stomach to chase my dreams! I know I couldn't live with myself in the future if I didn't keep chasing! And that's the first lesson kids. Chasing your dreams isn't always going to be easy. In fact in the sport of track and field a lot of of it is going to be spent in pain. If you want something bad enough and have the courage to chase your dreams then, you have to be willing to walk through the dark places it can take you. Don't give up on your dreams and don't be afraid if you fall short of your dreams because you can live happy with your journey if you keep going when you wanted to stop! So chase dreams and live with fire!
Till next time!
B Hudg
