Running is nothing new for the Douglass family; senior Gunnar Douglass has come from a family of runners. Just finishing his final season of high school cross-country, he ran a 16:35.86 for the 5000 Meter Run Final at the 8A State Championship, finishing first out of West’s runners.
Cross country isn’t like other sports because there is always room for improvement, and Douglass takes advantage of that, continuing to better himself as a runner and looking for the next big thing.
“There’s no limit on how far you can push yourself; it’s all personal, and it’s not like everything applies to everyone, it’s all different and fluctuating. You decide your outcome,” Douglass said.
Douglass is not the first in his family to play the sport. His sisters ran before him here at West and now they are both running at UNCG, where he plans to attend college next year to also run alongside them.
“I’m looking forward to joining them next year at UNCG because we’re a family at the end of the day, and we always support each other. That’s also where my journey through running started with them, so I’m excited to join them again,” Douglass said.
Most people think you go out on the track and just run the distance that you are competing for, but when you take a look at the sport, you see that running is a lot more mental than you may think. You have to be in the right headspace before a meet so that you can perform your best.
“Cross country is a big mental sport because at the end of the day, you are the one that makes the decision, you’re the one that pushes you. So every day is a challenge if you wanna push yourself in this run, if you want to push yourself in this workout,” Douglass said.
Douglass has proven himself on the track throughout these past few years. With the high school cross country season coming to a close, he will wrap up his high school career with track and field in the spring.
Favorite Food – Pizza
Favorite Artist – Fleetwood Mac
Favorite Athlete – Jakob Ingebrigtsen
Hidden Talent – Can juggle
