In an empty hallway of the Rothschild Performing Arts Center (RPAC), you’re likely to find a group of three or four seniors piled against a wall, using each other’s limbs to prop up their textbooks, phones or heads if they start to doze off. There’s a comfortable silence here on the floor, but the minute they exit through the glass doors, Leo Tuckey (12) will drive to Fitness19 to lift weights. 

During the summer after his sophomore year, one of Leo’s friends introduced him to weightlifting, a sport that satisfied his ambitious drive after injuries prevented him from continuing as a sprinter in track and field. As he navigated the world of competitive weightlifting, Leo discovered that the approach to weight training differed vastly from what he had learned in track and field.

“When I first started, I trained really recklessly,” Leo said. “I would max out pretty much every day, giving me shoulder and elbow tendonitis and putting me out for a month and a half. I learned how to train smarter instead of training harder.”

With determination and drive, Leo was able to make significant progress in his weightlifting journey, achieving new personal bests and breaking through previously insurmountable barriers. Most recently, Leo broke the 500 pound deadlift barrier.

“I was super honed in on deadlifting more than 500 pounds,” Leo said. “I practiced really hard because when I first started, it was a lifelong goal. Now, I accomplished it.”

During the early days of Leo’s weightlifting journey, he spent lunch periods in the Harker gym, gradually building up to bench press 225 pounds as his friends cheered him on. Friend of 13 years Matthew Chen (12) remembers Leo’s diligence with his training, even outside of the gym.

“He’s always been competitive, and we always like to make fun of each other and mess around,” Matthew said. “Once he’s set into doing something, he becomes really passionate about it and then he’ll explore it a lot. Everything he tries to do, he’s really good at.”

In addition to improving his approach to weightlifting, Leo found ways to refine his time management skills with the new commitment. He restructured his academic habits to give himself the time to be able to pursue the sport to the degree he desired.

“What I learned [from weightlifting] carried over to my academic life at school, so now I really want to excel academically as well,” Leo said. “It forced me to be more organized and methodical with how I structure my homework, and I learned to be more productive.”

Close friend Andrew Reed (12) noticed Leo’s shift in mindset. Having spent much of middle school and high school swimming, playing basketball or talking with Leo, Andrew has been able to observe how Leo’s goals and motivations changed over the years. 

“He’s got more of a work ethic now,” Andrew said. “I see him studying in Manzanita for two periods straight — he’s been working hard and improving himself both outside of school and in the weight room.” 

Leo reflects on what weightlifting has brought into his life, beyond a healthy and rigorous lifestyle. He attributes his newfound sense of motivation in academics to the sport.

“Weightlifting has changed what I value,” Leo said. “It’s made me a lot more ambitious. Before I did it, I was a bit complacent. I didn’t really have any goals in life, but now my ambition has carried over to school in academics.”

Leo exhibits commendable proactivity when it comes to pursuing his passions, prioritizing his interests and dedicating himself wholeheartedly to the endeavors that truly matter to him. By strategically allocating his time and energy, Leo strikes a balance between completing his required work and excelling in the pursuits that hold the greatest significance to him.

“If I find the right motivation, I feel confident that I can go far in whatever it is I put my mind to,” Leo said. “When I genuinely care about something, I’ll do anything to achieve my goal.”

Upper school English teacher Lizzy Schimenti, Leo’s advisor and Short Fiction teacher, saw this drive reflected in an academic setting. As a student, Leo demonstrated a keen intellect, participated actively in class discussions and exhibited a palpable interest in media and film. As an advisee, Leo initially appeared reserved, but blossomed into a gregarious and outgoing individual in the company of his friends. 

“He’s a curious, creative and collaborative student,” Schimenti said. “My advice for Leo moving forward would be to follow his curiosity and to believe in his creativity.”