Student-athletes journey, from setbacks to success

By Sibelle Balik

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Student athletes on the college level are typically dedicated to their sport. Nathaniel Blades, a senior on Farmingdale State’s Track & Field team, competing as a sprinter, shows true dedication. He has been on the team for all four years of his college career. Nathaniel is a 2021 graduate of Freeport High School, where he won the Saunders Award for being the most dedicated athlete. Through all his hard work and success came many obstacles.

The transition from being a student-athlete in High School compared to college is tough for many college students. Nathaniel was forced to take a semester off when dealing with his personal life.

Nathaniel states, “But my second year was when I struggled a lot, I had a lot of personal stuff going on in my life. At the time, my mom's health was just not where it needed to be. Same for my brother's health. And then my dad was just, you know, he was in and out of jobs.”

He also was dealing with a glute injury at the time which also filled his mind. Nathaniel has always viewed running as his escape.

“Even when I first started running, running has always been something that helped me just escape reality.” Nathaniel explains how track and field allows him to step outside his comfort zone. When balancing personal life struggles, schoolwork, and track, his team and coaches provide a great support system.

“Yeah, definitely my coach helped me a lot. I had a, like, a long talk with her, and she, she knows the type of person I am, so it was really easy to come to her about it.” Nathaniel said. Taking a semester off was a long time for Nathaniel not to train; this was not like himself. He knew it would be vigorous work to get back to the shape he was in before the summer had begun. This thought did not stop him; he continued to push towards an education and athletic career.

“When I took the semester off, I wanted to quit, because I just felt like I could not handle anything. But when I talked to my coach, and she really wanted me to come back, because she knew I was capable of doing.” In that Spring 2023 season that he returned, he was featured on three different track and field news stories. Nathaniel at the end of the season ultimately started to feel like himself again. Nathaniel is a senior graduating in May, with a lot of wisdom and inspiration. He gave advice to the incoming freshman athletes to have fun. Do not put so much pressure on yourself, only to be disappointed.

"I wouldn't really go off of what you did in high school, because it's college. You're going against the best of the best. So yeah, it's a different ball game when you get to college. So just try not to put a strong yourself. Go out there and have fun. Do your best, give it your all.” Nathanial said. Following graduation, he is going for his master's degree in physical therapy. He plans on continuing to run and potentially do long distance races.