Welcome back to another edition of our series called Tuesday Chat with Team Strava!
Sydney competes in events ranging from 3000m to the half-marathon, so we asked him some questions about his professional sport journey so far, his passion for running, and how he incorporates Strava into his daily routines.
Q: Hello Sydney! Tell us a little bit about yourself and your Strava world.
Hi! I am Sydney and I have been at Strava for just under 2 years now. I’ve enjoyed my time here and hope to stay for a while! I found Strava, funny enough, through my other ‘career’ of choice, running. I started running in Southern California where I was born and raised for most of my young life. I spent some time in Tanzania with my birth family before moving back to California to live with an adoptive family that has since become the closest people to me.
Q: How did you discover your passion for distance running?
I always knew that I would try running competitively. I didn't know to what level but my birth dad and adoptive dad both ran and gave me a lot of inspiration. I didn’t really participate in other sports growing up because I didn’t believe I would be competitive at them, being such a small kid. Nevertheless, I got my chance at 13 to start running and my world changed!
I’ve found my way through several levels, high school, college, and now professional running. I have made many friends and created so many memories in the last 13 years. I couldn’t be more proud of that. Awards and accolades fade but I'll certainly keep the relationships I have made close to my heart forever. Running was a way I connected to the dad who took me in at 7 years old. It’s what allowed me to meet my fiancee just a few years ago. It’s given me so much and I am just proud to have stuck through some of the tough parts of the sport.
Q: Can you tell us a bit more about how Strava fits into your everyday routine and helps you achieve your goals?
A typical schedule for me involves a run in the morning before logging on for the day, working through the day, and then maybe running again if the day calls for it. It’s fairly simple and straightforward but can become taxing after weeks and months. What helps is that I have a supporting crew even at work. From my manager, Katie(Woohoo!), my Strava teammates that double as running teammates Frank and Will and those that I haven't met yet that give me kudos on some of those runs. I feel like my work/life balance couldn't get any better for me personally.
Q: How do you keep yourself motivated and in a winning mindset?
I try to tune in to all the goals I have set for myself since I was 13. I try to emulate a role model that my younger self would look up to. I used to dream of the things I have done so far but there are plenty of lofty goals that are on the table. Taking a mature approach to everything also helps, like I said I made a lot of big goals as a kid but if I look at them 1 step at a time, they are easier to process.
Q: Looking at the road ahead, what are you most excited about and looking forward to achieving?
I am currently training for my first marathon in the late spring! As the year comes to a close I will be looking to compete in the Olympic marathon trials along with my Strava colleagues Frank and WIll. I want to make the Olympic Team in Paris. This is the pinnacle of the sport so I will have to train like never before. So excited I will be able to represent Strava in a different way than usual for the journey.
We congratulate Sydney on all his amazing achievements so far, and we wish him all the success in future competitions! If you’re motivated by Sydney's story, let us know how Strava shapes your day-to-day routine!
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Lola
(She/her)
STRAVA | Community Hub Team
