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Name: Stef Meacham
School: Gorham High School
What was your most memorable race/meet?
My most memorable meet was the SMAA outdoor meet during my sophomore year. I had finished in 2nd place during every regular season 1600m race walk race but I was able to win this race!
Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years?
Moxie Flanagan has been my biggest competition and I'm so sad I don't get to race with her again because she is one of the coolest people I know! I love hanging out with her before or after a race.
What was your greatest accomplishment?
Qualifying for NBNO with the race walk my sophomore year and NBNI my senior year. Also getting the meet record at Scarborough Relays last year in the 4x800m race walk with my teammates Lydia Valentine, Caroline Bishop, and Breshia Flett!
If you could do it all over again what would you change about your xc/track&field career in high school?
I think I would have started training more seriously sooner. This winter I started to increase my mileage and added in a little bit of strength training and I saw big results in a short time period.
What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?
I had some health issues at the beginning of my junior that set me back a bit, but they ended up helping me get into a better mental headspace overall.
What will you miss the most?
I'm going to miss the long race walk workouts on the track with my race walk girlies and going for alpaca runs with my teammates. I'll also miss all my coaches and telling random stories during the warmup.
What advice you would give to younger athletes?
Don't give up when it gets hard, that's when you get better!
What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?
Coach Tanguay has continuously reminded me to keep my head up and not give up when things get hard. Coach Cat gives the best advice on prom and is always excited to see me do well. Coach Karcanes has been influential in getting my mental mindset in the right place before a race. His belief that I could compete well inspired me to compete with those expectations.
How do you feel about missing your senior season due to the coronavirus?
It's definitely super disappointing since outdoor track is my favorite season and I felt like I was in a good place to be competitive this year, but I'm really grateful for the opportunity to continue competing in college. All of this has reminded me of how quickly things can change and how to not take any of the workouts, races, and team for granted. It's also helped remind me of why I love running and race walking because it's one of only a few things that has remained constant these last few months.
What are your college plans?
I'll be attending WVU Tech where I will run cross country and race walk for them. I'm going to major in nursing.
Who would you like to say thank you to?
I want to say thank you to my mama for waking up super early to drive for hours to get to a race (despite the rain or snow) and for being at each one to cheer me on. Thank you also to my dad and sisters for your support and for coming to as many races as possible.Thank you to all my family who comes to my races!! I also want to thank Tom Eastler who never let me get too comfortable with a good race, instead insisting I could still go faster. He also taught me not to hope for good results but to plan for them. Hoping for a race outcome gives space for failure, but planning sets the mindset to train and compete the way you want to.
