ETI Graduate Tells Her Story: Victoria 4/22/2015

“Hammer throw is a discipline that requires extreme coordination, balance, strength, and even endurance, both mental and physical. Looking back, I am certain that without the early mental and physical training I received thanks to The Institutes’ Early Development Program and International School I would not be where I am today. The International School students are trained to be physically, socially, and intellectually excellent individuals, well balanced across all three areas.

I first began to notice the differences among my peers in my ability to manage my  time, something that for any college student is invaluable, but especially for a student-athlete who was also working part-time to be debt-free upon college graduation. Not only was I better at time management, but also I was able to retain information with ease. I am able to study in one hour what takes my peers 2 or 3 hours to study; without doubt, this is thanks to my superior reading and information retention skills obtained through the intellectual program.

Obviously, due to the fact my career requires heavy physical exercise, that is where I note large differences.  My coordination and balance allowed me to learn a new discipline quickly. No doubt the countless hours of creeping and crawling as well as gymnastics helped me gain both balance and coordination. Furthermore, my long distance resistance increases rapidly, even if I have not trained in a while. I am convinced this is also due to my early training doing the physical program both in school and at home. However, the program (together with the International School), has helped in less obvious ways. I am positive that the program has helped be be mentally tough; perseverance, dedication, and mental strength in general are perhaps the most important traits an athlete can have, which are not developed easily.  Of course these are all traits with which we are born, but they can also be brought out and developed. The Institutes program does this through the social, intellectual, and intense physical program. I honestly cannot find the words to express my infinite gratitude not only to my wonderful parents, John and Susanna, who chose the difficult path of dedication and helped both me and my brother along our respective paths through life, but also to the teachers of the Evan Thomas Institute who helped shaped me into the athlete and person I am today.”