Knees slightly bent and head turned back, Brian Chen (12) waits in anticipation with his fellow runners. He focuses his attention on the growing silhouette of teammate Armaan Thakker (12), which emerges from the corner of the track. As Armaan nears the end of his 400 meter stretch, he passes the baton — dubbed “Louis Baton” and decorated with Louis Vuitton patterning by the Harker 4×400 meter relay team — to Brian.

All Brian feels in the moment is the biting cold wind, the impacts of each step and his own heavy breaths. Summoning all his remaining strength, he makes a final push toward the rainbow wall of athletes as he identifies teammate Rigo Gonzales (12) clad in green. Brian hands off Louis Baton to Rigo to run the anchor, his momentum carrying him past the fourth leg starting line. Once Rigo completed his leg, the team discovered that they had just set a new school record.

Months later, Brian recalls the bittersweet emotions he had experienced from this race, which was the first 4×400 meter relay he ran in over a year after suffering an injury. He now professes his gratitude for being able to return to racing with the same team that supported him before his injury.

Brian originally joined the upper school cross country team in his sophomore year, seeking an outlet from the monotony of virtual school. Yet, running has grown into much more than just a pastime for him. Through the trials of training and competition, Brian has developed a resilient mindset that enables him to push through the physical struggles of exercise.

“I found [running] a really good balance of physical and mental exertion,” Brian said. “You have to come to terms with your brain and mind, similar to working out and any kind of exercise in general. You’re training your mind to be stronger than your body because your body has those physical limits, but I don’t think those are real limits. You can always alter the physical limit by having a stronger mind.”

While exercise physically challenges Brian, he perceives it as a form of relief that ultimately rejuvenates him too. Through running, he clears his mind and appreciates the raw elements of nature.

“When I run, everything else disappears,” Brian said. “In that moment it’s just you, your body, the ground, the wind. It’s a very primal but refreshing feeling.”

After an injury prevented Brian from running for a year, he began to pursue cycling as an alternative form of exercise. Like running, cycling offered him the chance to surround himself with the beauty of nature. Even after he recovered from his injury and returned to running, cycling still remained a cherished hobby. Brian often enjoys bike rides with friends and family and co-founded the upper school Cycling Club.

Sister Cynthia Chen (‘20) recalls Brian’s eagerness to explore new interests, especially outdoor activities such as scootering, skiing, running and bicycling. She also pointed out his light-hearted, easy-going personality and love for nature.

“Brian brings a lot of adventurous or spontaneous spirit,” Chen said. “A lot of times when we’re outside, he’ll want to explore a trail when we are hiking. My mom, my dad and I would be like, ‘Let’s just keep on walking,’ and he’d be like, ‘No, let’s stop and go explore this trail and see where this leads to.’ That has added a lot more joy and uncertainty in life, which is really good.”

Close friend Johnathan Mo (12) also recognized Brian’s affinity for nature and admires Brian’s ability to manage his interests in a healthy manner.

“Brian is really kind and genuine,” Johnathan said. “Everything he says, you know he means it. He’s a very authentic person, and he knows how to balance his work while also enjoying life. He really loves biking and enjoying nature, but he’s also really hard working and puts a lot of time into his research. Brian’s spontaneous and knows how to have fun.”

Brian’s fascination with the natural world also extends to his academic interests. As an AP Environmental Science student and seismology researcher, he hopes to advance the field of earth sciences. 

“I’ve become genuinely interested in the topic,” Brian said. “Earthquakes and the Earth in general are so interesting to me. Understanding these natural phenomena and the earth is super cool to me. When it’s so big-scale, I’m able to really visualize it and understand it, and I become deeply interested in it.”

Brian has dedicated himself to the same project for several years, driven by the excitement of uncovering new breakthroughs in his field. As president of Research Club, he encourages others to explore the world of scientific research as well. Upper school research teacher and Research Club advisor Chris Spenner has worked with Brian in both the classroom and the club, and he respects Brian’s determination and work ethic.

“Brian’s completely reliable,” Spenner said. “He’s completely invested in all the work that he’s doing. I could tell pretty quickly that he was willing to put in the work to take on really big challenging projects. He has strong principles both in his research and also as a leader of [Research] Club.”

Brian’s efforts in research and his athletic endeavors have been constants in his life, and he plans to further his work in seismology and maintain exercise as an integral part of his life. Through his academic and athletic experiences, he has come to appreciate that the journey is just as important as the destination. In his research, he values the underlying learning process over end results, and in athletics, he cherishes the valuable insights gained from his injury recovery.

“I like being able to become proud of myself for smaller things, like being part of the process, rather than the result,” Brian said. “For both research and exercise, I’m really proud of the process and the work that was put into it. Even the amount of hours I spend doing physical therapy, I’m proud of those hours and the work I put in there.”

While motivated by his enthusiasm for the natural world and environmental sciences, Brian shares how his personal pursuits have instilled in him the proper mindset to overcome challenges. He believes that with patience and persistence, anyone can surpass life’s barriers, just as he has done in his own journey with running and research.

“Sometimes you just have to sit down with a challenge and face it head on,” Brian said. “There are some things that you want to try to avoid, but it will always come back at some point. Sometimes it does feel like you’re at your mental limit: you’re so tired, it’s so confusing and you don’t understand it. But if you spend the time and sit with it, your mindset will change. Then, something that was completely muddy to you will become clear, and you’ll figure it out.”