Jack Todd ran track at Wofford college, coached at South Carolina High School for the Deaf and Blind, and served as a Paralympic guide runner. He has also directed the Pan American Games for the Blind and the National and World Goalball Championships, was Head of Competition for Athletics for the International Paralympic Committee, and has conducted the Eye Opener 5K since he first began it in 1984.
I know him as Coach Todd, and he is currently my cross country and track coach at Spartanburg High School. Since I began competitively running in 8th grade, Coach Todd has been instrumental in developing my confidence in running, which in turn developed my confidence as a complete person, but he has also done so much more than just help me become a better athlete. As I have learned more about Coach Todd and his career, I have been inspired by how much he has accomplished and how much he is still doing.
Coach Todd’s favorite phrase is “Cross country rewards consistency”. He teaches us that as a runner, the most important thing you can do is be consistent. He exemplifies this as well: despite being in his 70s, he still runs almost every day, and he meets or exceeds his goal of 1000 miles per year, every year. This saying has proven true for running, but I have also found that it extrapolates well to life in general. Knowing that positive results will come if I continue to constantly put in effort has helped give me the confidence needed to pursue the highly iterative career of engineering. I know that I will fail many times, but I also know that by learning and studying and applying over and over again, I will eventually make a breakthrough and succeed.
Perhaps the most motivating knowledge that I have gained from Coach Todd is that it is wholly possible to create large connections that span across states and countries. Coach Todd has a passion for educating and assisting the deaf and blind, and with that passion he formed connections across the world through the Paralympics. The idea of bringing people together from around the globe often feels daunting and insuperable, but having someone in my community who has done so successfully and repeatedly has given me hope that I will one day be able to do the same with regards to engineering a better future.
Because of the example that Coach Todd has set, I firmly believe that it is possible for me to pursue my passions throughout my life, regardless of age. I will continue to run, I will become thoroughly involved in my chosen career path, and I will form connections both within my own community, and the larger global community.