Anthony Flowers '23 Recruiting Profile

Nothing in life is promised except death. No matter what you do during your short time here, the end is inevitable. Since I can remember, my mother had breast cancer and always suffered from the debilitating effects of the disease. My parents also divorced pretty early in my life, so I didn't get to see my mom all the time. When I was 11 years old, she passed away. The loss of a parent is detrimental to a child's life and I felt guilty for so long that I didn't spend enough time with her.

Shortly after this life changing event, my father, brothers and I moved from Chula Vista to Los Angeles, where I currently live. These sudden changes forced me to endure pain, continue to live and carry on. I believe pain is the best teacher. The feeling of tremendous loss shaped me into the person I am. I matured a lot faster than my peers, and it helped me to focus on what is important in life, the ones you love, the character you build and love you share.

I tend to be more focused than the average high school student. On many occasions, friends of mine have come to me to ask for advice with relationship issues, school challenges and athletic struggles. For a young man, who does not yet have a degree or professional training of any kind, I’d say that I do a good job helping those who need it. I believe my life experience has helped me to become a stronger and more caring person. 38

I am also a student-athlete who has been involved in sports my entire life. It is in my blood to run. Both my biological parents ran track in college, and my stepmother is a 5-time Olympian in the long jump. You could say there is a heavy influence to run track. I refused to run until my freshman year of high school, when I decided to run just for fun. I fell in love with the sport immediately! I learned that when I put in the work, I will get the results that I want. You either put in the work to develop yourself into something great or stay behind and watch from the sideline. I chose the former. I want to be great. Starting my junior year, I really dedicated myself to training. I would work out twice a day, 5-6 times a week. I trained in the morning before school and lifted weights in the afternoon after class. Once the season started, I dominated my league with little to no competitive challenge. When I ran in invitational meets against some of the best high schoolers in the country, I was able to compete with the higher level of competition, which was both humbling and inspiring. I was motivated to work even harder. Now in my senior year, I continue to train twice a day around my academic and work schedule. Juggling school, workouts and a job is not for everyone. My goal is to be unordinary. I strive to be different from the rest. 31

Throughout my journey as a student-athlete there is one person who has been by my side the entire way - as a coach, role model, fan, and parent. It took me a while to realize it, but my dad is my biggest role model, and a man who I aspire to be like. As I grow older and mature, I begin to realize how much I respect and look up to my father. He is still human and isn't perfect, no one is, but he has done everything for me. I know what I want out of life and chasing after the man that he is, will get me to where I want to be. Being even better than him will just be a bonus.