My Lumberjack Life | Lewis Mills
9/17/2020 7:00:00 PM | Cross Country, Track & Field, Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
SFA Athletics is continuing a new series called My Lumberjack Life. As we work our way through the hectic fall season, it seemed fitting to give our student-athletes a chance to answer the question: Why SFA?. These stories look at what led each respective student-athlete to pick SFA as their collegiate destination, and what their plans are for the upcoming season.
Growing up, I didn't like going to school and I really didn't enjoy sport until around the age of 13. I don't remember too much of my life before the age of 10 but I am pretty certain I was quite lazy. In England, the vast majority of children play football (soccer) growing up through school, and this is exactly what I did up until the age of 18. I was only a teenager at the time and all I wanted to do was play football with my friends. However, during our P.E classes throughout the school year we were forced to run cross country once a week, and I always found myself far in front of everyone else, without any practice or training.
My P.E teachers could see that I had a lot of potential with running but I was not interested in running competitively at all. From this point onwards, my teachers always pushed me to find an athletics club outside of school just to see if I would enjoy it. I was just 15 years old at the time, and looking back, this was the best decision I had ever made.
Fast forward to 2018, where I have been a member of Blackheath & Bromley AC (athletic club) for a couple of years, consistently showing up week in and week out just to see how far I could go while still playing football (soccer) competitively at the same time. 2018 was a big year for me, since I had just finished my last year at school with no ambition to attend university at all. I was very content with working a part time retail job while trying to pursue a career in athletics, but I soon realised that this would not be the best route for me to take. In the summer of 2018, I managed to win a silver and a bronze medal at two separate national championships that year in running events and soon realised I needed to commit to running 100% and stop playing football.
After achieving these heights in 2018, I honestly had no idea what was next for me, so I decided to take a gap year to travel and focus on running.
In the summer of 2019, I received an email completely out of the blue asking whether I was interested in coming to the United States to compete and study. Initially I was hesitant, the thought of leaving all of my friends and family at home to fly across the world and be there for four years was not something I decided on overnight.
After speaking to my mother numerous times, she was clear in expressing that she wanted me to go. She has always been so supportive in every decision I have made and expressed to me that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I may never receive again.
I had received an offer from Stephen F. Austin State University, and I accepted right away. After speaking to Coach Clark on the phone, we got on really well and I knew that the team he had here and his plans for the future of the program was something that I wanted to be a part of. I love to travel and I had never been to America before, so I had nothing to lose.
Having been here for nine months now, I can say that I love being here and I know I am growing as both an athlete and as a person day by day. Some days are difficult when I think about everyone close to me that I have left at home, but they are the reason that I am here and the reason I work hard every single day. 2024 is when I should be graduating from SFA, and with the Paris Olympic games the same year, achieving both would be a dream come true.
- L
Growing up, I didn't like going to school and I really didn't enjoy sport until around the age of 13. I don't remember too much of my life before the age of 10 but I am pretty certain I was quite lazy. In England, the vast majority of children play football (soccer) growing up through school, and this is exactly what I did up until the age of 18. I was only a teenager at the time and all I wanted to do was play football with my friends. However, during our P.E classes throughout the school year we were forced to run cross country once a week, and I always found myself far in front of everyone else, without any practice or training.
My P.E teachers could see that I had a lot of potential with running but I was not interested in running competitively at all. From this point onwards, my teachers always pushed me to find an athletics club outside of school just to see if I would enjoy it. I was just 15 years old at the time, and looking back, this was the best decision I had ever made.
Fast forward to 2018, where I have been a member of Blackheath & Bromley AC (athletic club) for a couple of years, consistently showing up week in and week out just to see how far I could go while still playing football (soccer) competitively at the same time. 2018 was a big year for me, since I had just finished my last year at school with no ambition to attend university at all. I was very content with working a part time retail job while trying to pursue a career in athletics, but I soon realised that this would not be the best route for me to take. In the summer of 2018, I managed to win a silver and a bronze medal at two separate national championships that year in running events and soon realised I needed to commit to running 100% and stop playing football.
After achieving these heights in 2018, I honestly had no idea what was next for me, so I decided to take a gap year to travel and focus on running.
In the summer of 2019, I received an email completely out of the blue asking whether I was interested in coming to the United States to compete and study. Initially I was hesitant, the thought of leaving all of my friends and family at home to fly across the world and be there for four years was not something I decided on overnight.
After speaking to my mother numerous times, she was clear in expressing that she wanted me to go. She has always been so supportive in every decision I have made and expressed to me that this was a once in a lifetime opportunity that I may never receive again.
I had received an offer from Stephen F. Austin State University, and I accepted right away. After speaking to Coach Clark on the phone, we got on really well and I knew that the team he had here and his plans for the future of the program was something that I wanted to be a part of. I love to travel and I had never been to America before, so I had nothing to lose.
Having been here for nine months now, I can say that I love being here and I know I am growing as both an athlete and as a person day by day. Some days are difficult when I think about everyone close to me that I have left at home, but they are the reason that I am here and the reason I work hard every single day. 2024 is when I should be graduating from SFA, and with the Paris Olympic games the same year, achieving both would be a dream come true.
- L
8.28.23 | Axe 'Em Insider Ep. 15 x Cross Country - Rob Hansen
Monday, August 28
XC: 2014 NCAA South Central Regional Preview
Wednesday, November 12
XC: SLC Cross Country Championships Preview
Tuesday, October 21
