Name: Clay Ewing
High school: Hartsville
Personal bests: 5,000 meters 16:20, 1600 meters 4:28, 800 meters 1:59, 400 meters 52.3
What is your most memorable race/completion?
I actually have two races that
really stand out to me for completely different reasons. The first one was the
first race I was able to run in after a 3 season injury and the other was this
year's state track meet when I broke 2 minutes in the 800 for the first time.
The state meet was so memorable because the other three boys from Lower State
all broke two minutes as well. I had raced them many times throughout the year
and it was the first time any of us broke that barrier.
Out of all
your high school accomplishments, which stands out the most?
My most standout accomplishment would be
becoming valedictorian of my graduating class.
If you could
do it all over again, what would you change about your athletic career in high
school?
I wish I had focused more on stretching in XC so
I could have possibly prevented injury and had a more successful season in XC.
What were the
most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
I had a knee surgery sophomore year that made
me miss sophomore XC, track, and also junior year XC. Once I finally was able
to come back to running after COVID, I had one year to do all I could with
running.
What will you
miss the most?
I will definitely miss the time I got to spend
with my teammates and coaches. I really enjoyed the time I got to spend with my
dad on runs and all the different places we went to for meets.
Do you have
any advice for younger athletes?
Enjoy the moment! Enjoy everything you can
about this sport because it will be over one day. This is an amazing sport and
it has brought me so much joy in my life.
How have your
coaches influenced your performances and your life goals?
My coaches, Paul Rogers and my dad, have shown
me to never give up on anything in life and that goes along with my performance
in running as well. They trained me to be a sub 4:30 1600 meter runner and a sub two 800 meter runner.
What kind of
impact did your family have on your time as a high school
student-athlete?
My parents have always been supportive in all
of my endeavors in life and have helped me realize to always trust in God and
His plans for you. My mom would always be cheering for me in the stands and
motivating me during my long-term injury. My dad was always pushing me to do my
best and has helped me learn so much about life and all it has to offer.
What is your
college or post-high school plans?
I will be attending Wake Forest University in
the fall and will be majoring in mathematics.
What do you
hope to achieve after high school?
I hope to enjoy my
time at college and make life-long friendships while obtaining a great
education. I also want to have a happy life with an amazing family by my side.
Do you see
yourself coaching in the future? Please explain and if so, what level and
why?
If I were to ever coach it would be like how
my father did for me. I would be a volunteer coach if one of my children showed
an interest in running and wanted me to be a part of their running career as a
coach.
Shout-outs?
I would like to
shout-out to my coach, Paul Rogers, and to my grandfather. They have been there
as mentors in running since I was in the seventh grade. They have helped
show me that I should never give up and to never be scared to hurt during a
race or life in general.
If there is
one thing in the world you could do, what would it be and why?
I would love to be on the show
Survivor because that is my absolute favorite show and that would be an amazing
experience to have.
