Kelia Naranjo-Champion '25 Recruiting Profile

Hello Coaches, 

My name is Kelia Naranjo-Champion. I am currently a Junior at Garfield High School in East LA, competing in both Track and Field and Cross Country. Through the pressures of being a student-athlete at my school and being involved with sports throughout my life, I have been fortunate to develop traits such as teamwork, time management, leadership, discipline, and most importantly, achieve the goals that I have set for myself both academically and athletically.

Being a part of Taekwondo since the age of 5 years old, I have come to understand that discipline, in particular, will set athletes apart, since passion only goes so far when it comes to those days when you get too tired of getting up and going to practice. I understand that things that are worthwhile take time and that goal-setting is just the first step. Commitment is also never failing to show up for the team when they need you. 

Competing in Taekwondo since I was young, and now swimming and running XC and Track at the Varsity level, all while managing AP classes and a job as a Lifeguard, my discipline has helped me master time management and has allowed me to go after my goals.

As a firm believer in the 10,000-hour rule of being good at anything, I am looking for a college that will assist me in breaking 2:10 in the 800M for Track and Field, but also have the opportunity to work towards a degree in medicine. I have always been able to work towards my goals by making small incremental improvements in my performance, and I am not afraid of putting in the work to get there. I believe that with my values of discipline and hard work, I can develop into a runner capable of being a leader in your program throughout my college career.