Colin McKeon- Through Glory and Struggle

SEATTLE- Through the struggle of injury in the sport he grew up playing and the overwhelming joy of adapting to running, Colin McKeon is finding his balance through it all.

Discovering this steadiness in his life has not come as an easy task but as McKeon states, “It’s the longer runs that keep me motivated.”

He keeps striving to be consistent. From the soccer world to running cross-country, he has a unique story to tell about his process through the good and bad days.  

Growing up in Seattle, he was drawn to soccer initially through friends and the desire to play, but he was soon to find out that there are many challenges that come with sports. Some of these challenges include the various injuries that made it hard to keep a positive mindset, but the close-knit team helped him through.

“It’s the other guys that really help me."

He believes that his teammates are what motivate him to do better every single day. Being motivated and dealing with setbacks isn’t the only challenges McKeon faces but rather there is much more to handle.  

From shifting throughout sports whether it was football, cross country or soccer, the jump from club soccer to high school soccer was the biggest change for him. When one takes a broader look at sports and education it really all comes down to the mental health aspect of things. 

In a very physically demanding sport, McKeon knows the importance of having a good mentality.

“It gets boring after a while… but you just have to keep going.” Mental stability is one of the major keys to success and happiness in running.  

In addition to his success on the field and course, McKeon really excels in the classroom. Finding that true balance between his extracurriculars and education is something that one doesn’t see often but this kid doesn’t complain about it.

Whether it is waking up at 7 in the morning to get to school on time or being the last one to leave the gym after a long run, McKeon expresses true admiration for the gritty and overlooked work, day in and day out.

“Once you get past that first hurdle of getting used to running it makes it so much more enjoyable.”

McKeon’s leadership not only shines while wearing his cleats but clearly around his community as well.  

As he grows into the role of an upperclassmen, McKeon finds real success in the little things like building relationships with his teammates and coaches and helping everyone around him to develop a positive mindset throughout their lives.

Even though finding his glory and completing his desired goals, one can tell he is sure to be on the right path.