As he jogs a warm-up lap around the Blackford track, Surya Gudapati (12) cracks a joke to his friends, grinning over his shoulder. Laughter and exclamations mingle with the rhythmic thudding of sneakers on the gravel trail. From the field to the classroom, Surya brings unity and joy to his surroundings through his light-hearted and carefree demeanor.

Surya has been running track and field throughout all four years of high school and at first joined as a freshman because many of his friends were also participating. In the beginning, the sport seemed challenging and tiresome to him.

“I was really slow, and I had bad stamina, but I thought it would be something fun to work on and get better at. At first, I didn’t really like it because I didn’t like running long distances, but slowly you get more used to it so it becomes easier,” Surya said.

Despite his initial misgivings, Surya soon came to enjoy the daily practices and made the drills and exercises more engaging for both himself and his friends with his humorous personality. Whether it be welcoming the new athletes or leading the warm-ups, Surya always brings his humor and happiness to the team. Track has helped him bond with many of his peers who he would otherwise not be able to see as often.

“I usually leave school pretty early, but when I’m doing track I’m hanging around the same people for a lot longer, so you get to know them better,” Surya said.

Friend and teammate Nathan Wang (11) deeply appreciates Surya’s presence in track and field.

“Every single year, he’s been the spirit of the team, the one guy making the track team a group in my opinion. He’s the real leader of the team,” Nathan said.

While Surya enjoys spending time with his friends during practices, he also acknowledges the rewarding feeling that comes during track and field meets when participating in his events, the 800 meters and 400 meters.  

“In practice, your mind is not with what you’re doing, but at a meet, you’re really focused on [running], you’re controlling your breathing and just that adrenaline rush when you’re getting close to the finish line is very cool,” Surya said.

However, instead of concentrating on winning meets, Surya chooses to prioritize self-improvement and embrace the precious memories that are created during practices.

“[Track] is just a fun time. A lot of my friends were there, and it kinda just taught me that if I work on something that I’m not good at, it’ll eventually get better. You’ll get better, but most importantly you’ll have fun,” Surya said.

Surya’s enthusiasm carries over into his interactions with others on campus and his participation in class.

Noah Lincke (12), a close friend of Surya’s, enjoys his company and his whimsical disposition.

“He’s very exciting to be around, very quirky, a very goofy guy. He’s a good student but he also doesn’t take things too seriously, and it’s always nice to have classes with him [because] it’s more fun. From an outsider’s [point of view], you might think that he’s just a crazy guy … but that’s part of the appeal, that’s what makes him fun to be around,” Noah said.

AP Calculus teacher Anthony Silk, who taught Surya last year, describes him as a vivacious person who always lightened up the classroom’s atmosphere.

“He would bounce around my classroom because he had so much energy, it was just crazy. He was a good student, very collaborative and loved working with other people. He was also very enthusiastic and loved asking questions. He sort of was like a class clown, but he was a focused class clown, so he knew when to play and he knew when to work, which just made the whole year more fun,” Silk said.