Idara Essien speeds into spotlight

In the blink of an eye, you wouldn’t catch track star Idara Essien because of how fast she can run. At a meet on April 17, she took first place two outstanding times in long jump with her score of 17’ 4.5, and 200 meters with 26.01 as her fastest time yet, as well as placed second in 100 meters 12.91 at the WACC Center Meet on April 10. This was truly a spectacular performance from her, representing CVHS in the greatest way possible. 

Essien started her running journey in second grade, with her natural speed setting her apart from her classmates as she zoomed by. She was gifted at such a young age, grabbing her teacher’s attention as she ran. Her teachers encouraged her to start running more seriously as they saw the potential based on her fast performance. She became more interested in running when they suggested it and considered starting training, and improving. 

Along with being actively involved in track, she is also a member of the CVHS girls wrestling team. Balancing two difficult and time consuming sports as well as academics can be challenging, but Essien handles it with such dedication. Workout training that focuses on strengthening and improving her speed are crucial skills for both track and wrestling. Her typical workout consists of focusing on speed inducing workouts which include 300 meter repeats, which boost her short-distance speed. 

Before every competition, Essien always makes sure to stretch properly and thoroughly  to ensure her safety as well as to present her best performance being physically prepared. Stretching doesn’t only help with flexibility, it can also be a mental motivation which puts Essien in the right mindset for the competition. In addition to stretching in advance, she also makes sure to eat well with balanced nutrition to maximize her energy. She also treats herself with her favorite foods as motivation to do well with her hard work. 

“I admire her dedication and it shines through in all the work she puts in at practice,” said junior Sifan Badaso. 

In the future, Essien plans to continue running for college, as she will get more experience at a higher level and gain the opportunity to grow. She also hopes to earn scholarships for her athletic ability, which would benefit her as it will allow her to pursue her passion in running.

“Make your last one your best one,” Essien stated. 

For every competition, it leads to her future that she envisions. She is committing her fullest to try to achieve her dream of competing in the Olympics in the future. Essien is determined to make her future bright by pushing herself to strive for the goals she is planning to achieve.