By Ken Hansard

Goddard Eisenhower senior cross-country and track athlete Eli Roberts has had his share of adversity. Roberts suffers from a condition called metatarsalgia, which causes the balls of the feet become abnormally inflamed, making running a sometimes difficult and painful experience. Considering the sheer will-power that it takes to begin to compete in cross-country, one has to wonder how Roberts manages.

Roberts does not deny the challenges, but he is committed to overcoming any trials that his condition might present. “With the proper aids, I am able to push through that challenge.”

Something else that has inspired Roberts to persevere in his goals is his status as an elected team leader. He claims, “An annual ceremony of passing the cross-country team flag to me to serve as the team captain was inspiring.” And additionally, he says that, “Keeping my weekly mileage consistent has been crucial to my training plan over the summer.” 

As for his senior year, Roberts is definitely excited about the prospects. “I am looking forward to watching myself and my teammates grow stronger together. Working to meet my potential is something that I look forward to every year.” Along with his status on the cross country and track teams, Roberts wears many other hats. He serves as Eisenhower STUCO Vice-President. He is also a “Zookeeper,” one of the Tigers’ student section leaders, and also is on the board for the EHS Law Club. He does all of this and more while also holding down a job in what little is left of his spare time. 

When asked about future plans, Roberts answered, “I am exploring my interests in Criminal Justice/ Forensic Science and possibly running at the collegiate level. Regardless, I plan to continue to run and meet my goals of running in a half-marathon and completing a 30 mile run.”