Stepping into place in his lane, Andrew Fu (‘23) clears his mind as he prepares for the 100 meter sprint that will lead his relay team to victory. Eyes focused, shoes hitting the ground, arms pumping in the air, Andrew pushes himself to run his best and be his best.

From as early as fourth grade, Andrew discovered his love for running, and track has since become a major part of his identity. The mindset he developed through track has influenced aspects of his character and values, particularly surrounding perseverance and hardwork. 

“My values as an athlete pretty much all translate over to my schoolwork and my personal life,” Andrew said. “Working hard, having motivation and being a good person are all important to me throughout the different areas of my life.”

As the holder of the third fastest 100 meter time of the Central Coast Section (CCS) and a three-time CCS champion in sophomore year, Andrew dedicates a lot of time and effort into track. In order to manage his athletics, school life and personal life, Andrew values balance. 

“[Track] teaches me hard work, and that you need to sacrifice some things if you want to be the best in something. Knowing when to sacrifice track for a test or when to sacrifice homework that’s due to train is something I have learned to manage overtime,” Andrew said. “You have to compromise in order to be successful in the real world, and it is something that I have really grown to understand.” 

Andrew first qualified for participating in CCS in sophomore year. He fondly recalls the 4×100 relay he won with his team in junior year and how it solidified the team’s efforts during the season.

“Winning was extremely gratifying because the year before that we didn’t do so well in CCS finals, so that whole year we had one goal and worked very hard towards it,” Andrew said. “Being with a team that you know is just as motivated and dedicated as you is very encouraging and makes the whole experience ten times better.”

While track is an inherently individualistic sport, Andrew naturally brings the team together through his playful personality, while also translating his goals of trying his best to encourage others. Close friend Anjali Yella (12) recognizes his caring nature and how it reflects both on and off the track. 

“Andrew is very thoughtful,” Anjali said. “There are a lot of things most people neglect, but he makes sure to think about everyone from friends to track teammates, and he makes you feel cared about.” 

Upper school track and field coach Sean Gwi, who has coached Andrew for the past two years, recognizes his development as a leader. He commends his attention to detail and keenness to improve himself as an individual and an athlete, while also helping those around him succeed.

“There is a good amount of knowledge that he has on subject matters that he cares about,” Gwi said. “He definitely cares about his teammates. For example, he quietly suggests to me when I am not being completely mindful in terms of helping a teammate receive the feedback that they should get, allowing everyone to achieve their best.”

Including the title of a 2023 CCS finalist, Andrew’s results reflect his sincere dedication to the sport. Anjali also comments on his growth as a person, remarking his true love for the sport.

“He has become more mature on the track since freshman year,” Anjali said. “He has developed a very specific training regimen and warmup routine that he does everyday to feel ready to run. He does many more drills than the rest of us do, and I think that shows his attention to detail and love for the sport.” 

Close friend Matthew Chen (‘23) admires Andrew’s dedication and focus to reach his goals and perform his best in track, in school, and in his relationships. He especially highlights their time together during their youth. 

“Andrew is really inspirational,” Matthew said. “He got even more inspirational as we grew up, because he developed a really good work habit.”

In order to overcome obstacles and deal with the challenges that arise with his many commitments, Andrew emphasizes dedication and hard work. He understands that consistency is key to success and improvement, especially in regards to his relationship with track.

“One of the main things for me is training hard in practice, because you only see results by working hard,” Andrew said. “In track, you often run the same speed or time over and over, and you feel like you are stuck, which is really frustrating. But just trusting the process and knowing that sticking with the training and working hard will lead to progress is something that keeps me going.”