Eric Weible '22 Recruiting Profile

            When I was five years old, I joined Darimar Martial Arts and started my Tae Kwon Do career. Over the course of ten years at Darimar I progressed to a second degree black belt and joined the demonstration team, the US Tigers. It was here that I learned what it truly meant to be a part of a team, something that was greater than myself. The success of the team depended on more than just myself, or even the person standing next to me. It depended on the group as a whole. Being successful necessitated that I learn respect, not only for the masters and instructors that were teaching us, but for the whole of the Darimar community. Through Tae Kwon Do, I learned that everybody deserves to be treated with courtesy and respect, no matter how they might act towards you. I also learned discipline, which meant acknowledging and respecting that the art was difficult and would not be easily mastered but still working hard every single day, both at home and in the Dojang, to better my own skills and fitness in order to make a difference for the team.

            I felt a similar sense of a team culture when I joined the Gahanna Lincoln Track Team my junior year. The same principles that I learned through Tae Kwon Do applied to running track. I show the same respect that I showed my peers in the Dojang to my fellow runners and coaches. The discipline that I developed at Darimar plays a huge part in track because the team’s success relies on the individual placement of each runner. The sport is hard on the mind and body, but I know that I play a vital role on the team. I strive every day to become better than I was the day before for the success of the group.

            I am a very goal oriented person and through my discipline, hard work, and expertise of my coaches, I believe my goals for this coming season are attainable. The current record for the 1600m run at my school is 4:19, and my goal is to break it. I know this is not an easy task to achieve, but that is exactly why I want to do it. The time is more than just a number because it shows the hours of hard work and dedication it took to achieve it. I am also a member of the 4x800 team, so I want to become a sub two minute 800 runner. I believe that becoming a sub two minute 800 runner will improve my times for other events and allow me to score more points for the team, ultimately leading us to future success.