A few years ago, Habib Leyos wasn’t concerned about sports. That was, until he joined the Whitehall swim team that led to his current sport.

“I was never much of an athlete before high school,” reflected Leyos, who is a senior this fall. “The most I did was weight lift, but I generally avoided sports.

“In my freshman year, I decided to try something new by joining the swim team. I loved it, and I asked my swim coach how I could stay fit for next year. He suggested I joined the track team, and that’s what I did. When I first started, I quickly realized sprinting wasn’t for me, so I turned to distance running.”

It began a true bond with the sport.

“After the season was over, I decided to continue running every day into the summer,” added Leyos. “That’s when I began to fall in love with the sport.”

Leyos was the Zephyrs’ second boys’ finisher in the East Penn Conference Cross Country meet and 79th overall. His best time last season was 19:05.

He has worked steadily to lower his times through a consistent work ethic.

“Ironically, what keeps me most motivated to run is not motivation, but dedication,” stressed Leyos. “Motivation comes and goes. There will be days when it rains, when you don’t feel like running. But it’s important to not always rely on feelings and instead think back to your goals. That’s when dedication is more important.

“That’s when you choose what you need to do, not necessarily you want to do in the moment. Whenever I don’t feel like doing a workout, I think ahead to the end of the season and decide that it’s better to hit the pavement now than regret not having done so later on.”

Leyos has thrived on the support from his family as well as head coach Brandon Hampton and assistant Eugene Konno.

“I’m grateful to have such a strong support system around me, which includes my parents, my coaches, and friends,” stressed Leyos. “Without my parents always giving me rides to and back from practice, none of this would have been possible.

“In addition, Coach Hampton and Coach Konno have been huge influences in my running. They’ve always believed in me and set high goals for me, even when I’m not sure I’ll be able to reach them. I’m also lucky to have a great cross country team where everyone supports each other.

“I’m also thankful for our Lord Jesus Christ, who has kept me in good health, free of injury, and who has kept me going during challenging times.”

Leyos kept a constant workout schedule this past summer, and he is confident it can pay dividends for him.

“I have been running steadily throughout the year, though at times more than others. Currently, I’m gradually increasing my weekly mileage as we approach the cross country season and dive deeper into the summer.

“My goals for this year are to do the very best I could while also supporting my team to do their best. Compared to the big schools like Emmaus and Parkland, our Whitehall cross country team has historically been smaller, but I’m hoping that we can develop a strong team this year to have a chance at beating more schools. Also, to top off my senior year, qualifying for states is a big goal of mine.”

Leyos is hopeful for a defining moment this coming season.

“There isn’t a finishing moment that comes to my mind as particularly special,” said Leyos. “I’m not usually the strongest finisher, as I tend to do best in the middle of the race. But I’m hoping I can have that moment this season.”