Sophomores in College often find themselves under a lot of stress. Second-year students have more responsibilities than they’ve ever had, don’t enjoy the comfort of financial abundance, and some, like Ryan Golden, are further burdened by an intense passion for adrenaline, competition, and physical challenges. 

Golden is an education major who consistently earns good grades, is a cross-country runner with many achievements, and has a considerable personal record. The competitive runner has experienced the stress and exhaustion that his rigorous schedule and strict standards can bring about. After some trial and error, Golden learned to thrive under pressure and perform physically and academically; he can succeed without burning out.

His secret lies in something that, at first glance, might seem like extra weight that adds to his stress, but has taught Golden the lessons he needed to handle the heat and live a more manageable life: cross-country.

After 10 years of competitive running, Golden has learned the power of discipline, consistency, and human connection. The winner of an NJCAA Division III Men’s Cross Country national title works at Jewel Osco in the morning, comes to Harper in the afternoon, and practices right after.

Golden works hard at school and makes time for himself, his friends, and his family every week. The cross-country athlete knows hard work, but also understands the importance of taking a breath. 

The NJCAA winner says that in cross-country, it is fundamental to have a good relationship with one’s teammates. 

“Closeness is key to a good team,” Golden said, highlighting that a good support system wildly improves his and his team’s performance. 

Golden and his teammates often support each other by pushing themselves and each other. They cheer each other on before, during, and after racing. Beyond the team-based point system, Ryan explains that passion and energy rub off on one another, and that a positive environment where everyone is pushing their hardest is one of the best for success in cross country. 

This is something that Golden seems to have taken to heart and applied to his daily life.

The competitive runner likes to play multiplayer video games with his friends, such as Minecraft and Marvel Rivals. Golden also makes time to meet and hang out with them once a week. Relaxing is an important part of the process for Golden, since the competitive runner has experienced burnout in the past.

Golden’s overachieving nature has caused his mental health to take a few blows in the past. The competitive runner remembers a time right after high school when, after a long period of hard work and no play, his mind and body were too exhausted to keep going at the current rate. During his senior year in High School, Golden suffered a significant knee injury that left the competitive runner unable to run for several weeks.

Since then, Golden has made a big change and now takes his rest time very seriously.

Cross-country has also exposed the NCJCAA winner to long, intense, and constant battles between mind and body. The endurance and mental toughness Golden has built to run long distances and maintain a respectable record have made the competitive runner a methodical, focused man. The competitive runner is easygoing, serious, and doesn’t let emotions get in the way of what he needs to do.  

Most of Golden’s inspiration comes from their favorite Comic Book characters, Batman.

 “Even without any powers, against all odds, he’s one of the strongest and a leader among heroes,” Golden described.

The competitive runner also mentioned that the Flash and some characters from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure remind him of himself, and their stories help him keep moving forward 

Golden shared a simple but powerful piece of advice for his fellow students: “Give yourself time, take breaks.”

The competitive runner understands the importance of hard work, but also understands that, like everything else, there is a time and a place for it. The NJCAA winner has learned that making time to recover is as fundamental as the work itself, and has paid dearly for that lesson. This approach to a balanced schedule and focus on recovery and leisure time alongside his high standards has led them to earn many accomplishments while enjoying life to the fullest.