On December 12, 2023, The Office of Environmental Health and Safety (or, as I like to call them, The Office of Soulless Stinky Little Party Poopers) tore me away from my one true love – my partner through thick and thin: my GoTrax G5 scooter. 

In the blink of an eye, I had to say goodbye to her beautiful convenience, efficiency, and seamless electric propulsion. Worst of all, I had to start walking like a commoner. With every step I took, I was forced to put my body – my temple – at risk of grave injury. But, as any student-athlete will tell you, as always, the biggest struggle is mental: If they were ignorant enough to miss my head-to-toe attire, how was the world to know that I was indeed a student-athlete – an elite being gracing the lives of all those in my vicinity?

With time, I came to realize that losing Traxie was actually the best thing to ever happen to me. I realized that being a student-athlete wasn’t something that depended on others’ perceptions of me; it was who I was. You see, I’ve been an athlete from day two. I thrive on being challenged, pushed to my limits, and Traxie made my life too beautifully, blissfully easy. Some may call me crazy, even masochistic, for thriving without Traxie’s loving support. But to those people, I say: You just don’t understand the mindset of a true athlete. We live to prove ourselves and dedicate ourselves to being the best. 

I’m proud to report that over this last month and a half, I’ve reached new heights of strength and endurance. I have restored the athlete spirit within me. They always say, “No pain, no gain,” and giving up Traxie was perhaps the single most painful thing I’ve had to endure for the most important gain of them all: the indomitable spirit of the student-athlete.