By Ching Yuen, staff writer
With a natural talent for running, a strong mentality and an endless pursuit for success, Galileo senior Mathias C. has the opportunity to go down as one of the greatest cross-country runners in Galileo’s history.
Mathias is the fastest high school runner in the SFUSD this cross country season so far, claiming 1st place with a time of 17:55 in the “All-Comers” meet on September 20, 2022.
Although Mathias is a great runner, he also credits his teammates for the team’s successes. “First of all, cross country is a team sport where each runner scores points for the team based on their place. When you add up all the points, the school with the lowest score wins”, Mathias says.
Mathias started running in middle school competing in the mile. “I ran to get in better shape for soccer. But I realized that I really enjoy running,” Mathias says.
Mathias began his cross-country career in freshman year at Galileo and trained hard throughout the years: running 50 miles a week in practice, running up hills 9 times during each workout, and doing extra 400m repeats after everyone else finishes.
To Mathias, improving is also a mental game. Enduring the pain in practice and sometimes losing to an opponent can be challenging, but ultimately Mathias always seeks improvement. “There is no limit so therefore there is always a place for improvement”, Mathias commented, adding: “Honestly, I am just scared that I am not finding out what my true potential is for cross country.“
Coach Braund, Galileo’s cross country coach, comments on Mathias: “He is a great kid. He is really coming into his own this year and finding the mental side of running. The physical [side] has always been there. Right now he is number 1 in the city.”
“He sacrificed a lot to run. He has a great GPA and still manages to run 50 to 60 miles a week,” Coach Braund adds.
As a hard worker, Mathias is not satisfied when he does not reach his goal. Sometimes, Mathias injures himself after hard workouts. However, to Mathias, getting injured only means that he has to work harder to make up for lost time and practice.
At the same time, Mathias’ greatest strength is also finding motivation in achieving his goals. “All the time I fail and feel pain in my legs, [but] that is actually the best outcome because it pays off in meets and creates satisfaction when I get good results,” Mathias says.
To perform at the highest level during competitions, his lifestyle is influenced by the preparation work. Mathias drinks electrolyte supplements throughout the day to help with recovery. He also eats plenty of carbohydrates to refuel his body.
In addition, he also has a strict diet to maintain his body fat and a sleep schedule to ensure enough rest. “I limit my sugar intake and I don’t eat sweet foods,” Mathias says, adding: “However, I am always a student before an athlete. Depending on if I have homework or not I usually get around 8 to 9 hours of sleep each night.”
Mathias’ goal is to beat Lowell this year, Galileo’s rival. Mathias took home the bronze medal last track season in All-City, finishing with a time of 10:12 over the two-mile race. Both gold and silver medals were won by Lowell athletes.
“I am going to put in the work- day in and day out,” Mathias says, adding, “Then my goal is to get first place in All-City and win the team title for Galileo.”
Mathias will compete in the cross country All-City championship on November 16, 2022. When asked about his chances to win it all, Mathias says, “I am extremely proud of how consistent our team has been and there is no doubt that this has been the most hardworking and fastest cross country team Galileo ever has.”
“We will be beating Lowell for the first time in school history on November 16,” Mathias adds.
“He is the fastest distance runner that we have ever had. [He’s also] the best shot that we have to beat Lowell. He is definitely among the top 3 distance runners in Galileo history,” Coach Braund says.
“He is the best shot that we have to beat Lowell. He is definitely among the top 3 distance runners in Galileo history,”
Coach Braund
Lowell’s boys cross country varsity team hasn’t lost in All-City since 2006, and only lost three times in the last three decades (1994 McAteer; 2003, 2005 Lincoln). As the Lions prepare to dethrone Lowell, pay attention to Mathias Camilli on November 16 at the Golden Gate Park.
