Q & A with Dr. Gary, featuring Becah Delp, Women's Track and Field
Becah Delp ’16, Women’s Track & Field, Biology major
Q: What is your favorite class experience/ professor experience at Wittenberg?
A: My favorite class experience would have to be the Bahamas course I took with Dr. Reinsel, Dr. Welch, and Dr. Phillips. It’s a four week comparative communities class that takes place in San Salvador, the Bahamas during the summer. I completely fell in love with my major again during this course. Obviously studying in the Caribbean is an experience in its own but I also met some great people that I don't think I would have otherwise come as close with had I not taken this course.
Q: What is your most memorable sports moment at Witt?
A: That's a hard one. I do really enjoy competing in the multis though - the pentathlon and heptathlon. Those are my favorite events because they include a little bit of everything: jumping, hurdling, throwing, and running. I like to refer to myself as the "Joe Shmoe" at track - not excellent at anything but not too shabby at pretty much everything - which treats me well for multi purposes. I don't think I can pin-point an exact race or an exact PR that really sticks with me so much that it stands out from all the rest. But I don't think one race or one PR at one specific meet is what I'm really going to remember in five, ten, fifteen years. I think what I have enjoyed the most is, collectively, my whole track and field experience. The whole program: the death-by-running workouts, the year-round training, the coaches, and most importantly, my teammates - those are all going to be the things that stick with me the most. Without all of the training, my coaches, and my teammates, I wouldn't have achieved what I have thus far. Witt's Track and Field program has, without a doubt, helped shaped me into the person I am today and although sometimes I questions whether the repeat 300's are worth it, I couldn't be more grateful.
Q: What is the most valuable thing you have learned through your sport that is applicable to life?
A: Things aren't always going to go exactly as planned. You can't do everything perfectly 100% of the time. You just can't get discouraged. If you put in the hard work, it will pay off. Keep your goals and expectations high, but know that they aren't always going to come easily or in a blink of an eye. Sometimes you just need a little patience and a positive, confident attitude. The bumps in the road are just a part of the experience - and they make the sense of accomplishment when achieving that goal that much better.
Q: After your time at Wittenberg, how will you pass the light on to others?
A: My experience at Wittenberg has really taught me, as cliche as it sounds, to love life: to take advantage of opportunities, to cherish the people around you, to live in the moment and enjoy every second of it. I hope to take my knowledge and experiences during my time at Wittenberg and pass that same outlook to others in my future endeavors. Life is short and it’s worth living to the fullest. Wittenberg has proven that to me and I hope to be able to show others that it’s really the simple things that can make that happen.
Q: How did you get involved in your sport? (When did you get involved in your sport? Why did you get involved in your sport?)
A: I started doing track as soon as it was offered in school: 7th grade. While I am not so much a fan of running (okay - I actually hate running), I did immediately fall in love with hurdling and jumping. Previously being involved in team sports (soccer and basketball), I think I really liked the individual aspect of track and field. I enjoyed trying to push myself to be able to get that next PR and really being able to see improvement in my events.