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FEATURED ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: Ben Gellman, Greencastle
Ben Gellman is a senior at Greencastle and participates in cross country and track and field.
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Banner Graphic: How old were you when you first got interested in sports?
Ben Gellman: “I think it was in about third grade at Tzouanakis and I started running on the trail behind the school at recess, even though that's not normally what kids do at recess. In sixth grade I was able to run for the school team and I really liked that. My mom ran in high school, and it was just something I wanted to do."
BG: Did you play any other sports?
Ben: “I played baseball through sixth grade, soccer through fifth grade, basketball through ninth grade, I played one game of football and I swam in the summer. I liked running the best and I stayed with it. It was always my favorite. There is something about challenging yourself in that way and putting yourself to the test with no extra tools."
BG: What have you learned through running?
Ben: “It has taught me to 'suck things up' a little bit when things get tough. The last thing you want to do at the end of a race is to run fast, but that's what you have to do. That can teach you a lot about life and that some of the good things come from suffering and putting your head down and getting through it."
BG: You've also been a key member of the Academic Super Bowl team. What has that been like for you?
Ben: “It has been great. I have read some good books and some bad books over the past couple of years on the English team. I have learned several skills, like how to mark up books to remember key points and working with it as an active tool. We hadn't done that as much in school, but those skills have translated well into my AP classes and my DePauw class. That is really important, and it's helped me to think about literature in different ways."
BG: Is it tough to mix in sports, the academic team and your schoolwork?
Ben: “They go together pretty well. I have found in the couple of weeks that I take off from running that it's tougher to focus on academics. I go on a run, and then I'm tired, so I don't want to do anything else but sit down any way. The practices haven't conflicted, and that's the nice thing about running — you can do it whenever and wherever you need to do it. It's a good way to take your mind off things, and you can do it by yourself — you don't need someone to hit with, like in tennis."
BG: What other things do you do at school?
Ben: “I am in the Latin Club, National Honor Society and the Ethics Bowl team [we got second at state once, and we got third this year]. I'm on the Sustainability Commission, a group of community leaders who work on making Greencastle to be more sustainable environmentally. I've been the secretary the past couple of years. Mostly my job has been to take the minutes. My sister was on it before me. One thing we did was to get some recycling bins from an idea they had."
BG: What are your plans for after high school?
Ben: “I have signed to run cross country and track at Colorado College. I haven't decided on a major, but I'm still considering philosophy, political science or history. I'm not sure what I want to do for a career; I may decide to go to law school but I'm keeping it open for now."
BG: What is something you have never done before that you would like to do someday?
Ben: “I have never summited a 14,000-foot mountain, and I'd like to do that someday. There are some in Colorado. My highest right now is Mount Washington, which is 6,000 feet. I went to a summer camp for a couple of years and we went on a hiking trip where we climbed a mountain. That was my favorite part of it, and I've been able to do more since then."
BG: What are your favorite and least favorite foods?
Ben: “My favorite food is mango, and my least favorite is mushrooms."
BG: What are your favorites in music, television and movies?
Ben: “My favorite TV show is the 'West Wing' and 'The Wire'. Those are two of the best shows ever. I don't listen to music much, except when driving, and when I do it's 92.3. Some people listen to music when they run, and there are wireless headphones you can get. That's never been something I've done, because I think it's a good opportunity to unplug when I run. My favorite movies are 'Monty Python's The Holy Grail' and 'The Princess Bride'."
BG: Do you have any favorite memories from high school?
Ben: “We had some good traditions in cross country. The "Kroger run," and going to get corn from nearby fields before the big meets for good luck. It works sometimes, but not this year."
BG: Summarize your overall experience in Greencastle.
Ben: “It's been mostly good growing up in Greencastle. I've gotten the opportunity to run in a lot of different places. I do like running in Greencastle more than most places. People are nicer. I've had really great experiences in track, especially the last two years with coach [Craig] Jordan. He's taught me how to run in a more sophisticated manner than I did before, and given me the opportunity to grow as a runner. It's a nice place to grow up in a small town."
BG: Have any certain teachers or classes helped you to this point?
Ben: “Mr. [Donovan] Wheeler in English and Mr. [Bradley] Key in A-Push have really helped me a lot."
BG: Do you have thoughts of coming back here to live after college?
Ben: “I don't really have a plan; it really depends on how my career goes."