Our Wildwood, Winter 2019, Volume 44

jumper was born. “It felt like flying,” she would later say. But flying, it would turn out, was not as easy as it looked. For a newcomer like Asha, overcoming the anxiety and inexperience to jump with confidence, alone against the elements, seemed insurmountable. Asha credits the care and support of coaches Paul Lupi, Ena Leufroy, and Tim Bowman for cultivating both the technique and the mindset to succeed. By the time she landed her winning jump in the 2018 CIF State Track and Field Championships, all 19 feet and 3 inches of it, Asha proved to the crowd—and most importantly herself—that she could reach her dreams. As coach Paul describes it, “A jumper often needs just one good performance to know what is possible inside them.” Asha now takes that confidence into her senior season, reinforced by knowing that the University of California, Berkeley wants her to compete for them next year. For a student who began jumping less than two years ago, newfound Olympic dreams are now within reach. BEYOND THE SCORES It’s unusual to suggest that student athletes take a season off, as Lexi did, or wait to start their sport until 10th grade, as Asha did. Some schools demand a year- round focus on a single sport to gain the skills to advance. However, playing multiple sports is encouraged at Wildwood. “I believe strongly in the value of kids playing multiple sports,” says Athletics Director Billy DuMone. “Kids learn to use their body differently, it helps prevent overuse injuries, and they learn life skills having been taught by various coaches.” For Asha and Lexi, taking time for other interests, or simply for rest, is crucial to their success. It’s part of the recipe that brought them together, on a basketball court no less, where a shared passion for athletics and teamwork drove them to achieve. We celebrate Lexi and Asha for all they have accomplished on the grass of the soccer pitch or the sand of the jumper’s pit. Their successes are well- earned milestones for themselves and a legacy for our program. It’s a legacy measured not in wins and losses or inches and feet but in the long list of students who strive to compete every day with pride and try something new. And that, Lexi and Asha would tell you, is the Wildwood way. W

Asha F. ’19 jumped 19 feet and 3 inches at the CIF State Track and Field Championships, coming in third in the whole state.

Lexi and Asha with Athletics Director Billy DuMone

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OWW WINTER 2019