![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Olympian and psychologist Tere Zacher spoke about the importance of approaching injury rehabilitation with a resilient mindset during Sports Medicine Club’s inaugural meeting on Oct. 24.
Zacher shared her own experiences with sports injuries during her transition from college volleyball to professional swimming and long-distance running. Despite being told that she was too old to start swimming competitively at age 24, Zacher went on to place first in 50m freestyle in the 1998 FINA Masters World Championships. She went on to qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics, representing Mexico in running at age 44.
“Whatever you set your mind into, you can achieve, regardless of where you come from, regardless of your age,” Zacher said. “Do not let other people’s fears get in the way of what you can and cannot do. If someone does that, push them away. You’re the only one that can set your own limits.”
When Zacher switched to running, she faced repeated injuries, which worsened when she resumed training before her injuries healed completely. She urged students to take care of their bodies and focus on their mindset regarding injuries and recovery, concentrating on improvement and gradual goal-setting.
“Progress is measured in centimeters,” Zacher said. “Instead of thinking how I couldn’t run, I was like ‘I couldn’t even put weight on it a week ago. Now I can walk.’ Instead of thinking about what you cannot do, focus on how you progress instead of comparing yourself to before the injury or to your teammates.”
Sports medicine club member and volleyball player Sophie Wu (9) shared how Zacher’s experiences with overexertion resonated with her own athletic training.
“I’ve gotten minor injuries where it’s been recommended that I take a week off,” Sophie said. “But I remember always thinking that I need to keep practicing. It’s really eye-opening hearing the perspective of someone who kept reinjuring and having to eventually sit out a whole year, and it really clicked in my brain that I should take more care of my body.”
Sports medicine club was founded this year to spotlight human anatomy, physiology and performance in the realm of sports. The club plans to host educational and interactive activities through a mix of lectures, speaker events and demonstrations.
Officer Jason Li (12) described the relevance of the club to all members of the community and not just athletes.
“You don’t even need to be in a sport to get a sports injury as long as you’re physically active,” Jason said. “I hope that [our members] will feel inspired to, if they’re not training already, to start training, and if they are training, to start coding it in certain ways, or doing preventative exercises or rehab or recovery.”
