Enjoying the Process

For the last four years, Rohan Takkar has been synonymous with Village Cross Country. The state runner-up and all-time Village record holder has been a leader on the team since he was a freshman. 

Rohan has "enjoy[ed] the process".

"Experiencing how it was to be lead when I was a freshman and then, over time, transitioning to becoming a senior leader on the team has been great." 

The key to his success, Rohan says, lies in his continued practice of patience. 

"I've learned that training has a huge patience aspect to it. It has taught me consistency and hard work as the results aren't going to come in days or weeks, but rather months and years. The way I've grown in the long hours of training is being able to have the mindset of loving to hurt".

It makes sense, then, that Village cross country head coach Dr. Michael Walker describes Rohan as a "quiet and almost stoic runner".

The process has not only given Rohan an impressive skillset, but an opportunity to chase further dreams as an athlete after high school. 

"My aspirations after graduation are to be able to have a successful switch from high school to professional triathlon and keep working towards an Olympic gold medal. Specifically for running, my goal is to be able to run at least a low 14-minute 5k so I can be the best runner I can be for the triathlon." 

An impressive goal, one that Rohan describes as "mean[ing] the world to [him]". 

Rohan's dedication, though, is only one small piece of what Dr. Walker describes as qualities "that set him apart from your usual high-school runner".

Things like "do[ing] his own research into the science behind the kinesiology and physiology of mid-distance running", something that Dr. Walker mentions Rohan has been doing since he was a freshman, and "shar[ing] his knowledge and commitment with the rest of the team" reflect Rohan's continual growth as a teammate and leader. 

"He does not keep…knowledge to himself...In the last two years, he has gained the confidence to open up and share his knowledge with his teammates and has also begun to make requests or offer up suggestions to our running curriculum" Dr. Walker says proudly.

Rohan, in turn, has come to reciprocate the appreciation his coaches have for him. "My coaches have made a huge impact on me! My coaches have always kept me at a strong balance to make sure I don't break down and overtrain. This has helped me perform well at important races and make sure I'm not burning out."

"His greatest impact, however, has been helping his teammates to learn goal setting. To track their performance week to week and set either time or distance goals for the next. To help them celebrate when a goal is met and to strategize when they aren't. He has absolutely had a successful individual season this year and has pulled many of his teammates along with him" Dr. Walker concluded.

At the end of the 2023 cross country season Rohan's "successful individual season" saw him bag first place in three of the five meets he competed in, break his school record with a 16:03.6 5km, and receive a silver medal as the 2023 TAPPS Boys 6A State Championship Runner-Up.

When asked what his high school cross-country career has meant to him, Rohan was quick to answer. 

"My life revolves around [running] and being fortunate enough to be able to compete at a high level makes me feel accomplished and…that all the work that I put in is paying off."

A payment, fully earned, through the process.