Turner Mitchell, Men’s Indoor & Outdoor Track & Field | Hometown: Hull, Mass. | Major: Undergraduate Law

These past four years as an athlete have really been a blur. I remember back in my freshman year, I was waking up at 4:45 a.m. to get to practice from Hull on time. I had no clue why I wanted to do it that early. I LIKED track, I didn’t think I loved it. It felt like something fun to do to stay in shape and make some friends. I never realized that it would come to be one of the biggest teaching moments of my life.  

Becoming a captain my sophomore year was something I didn’t feel ready for. All the big guys were leaders, I felt like the little guy in the mix, and I was just along for the ride. I ended up becoming a resident assistant, so commuting wasn’t an issue, but I still felt isolated and a million miles away from not only my teammates, but also from myself. That was, until our conference championship meet in outdoor track.  

I’m not entirely positive what it was that changed that day, but I felt like the leader of something bigger than me. The leader of something that can change lives. I didn’t see people older than me as superiors, I saw them as people I can talk to and learn from. I didn’t think of people younger than me as inferior, I thought of them as someone I could teach and mentor to be better people. As a result, I was blessed to be a captain for another two years.  

Fast forward to my senior year, I find myself to be incredibly tough on my teammates. I expect the best from them, even if their best isn’t up to my expectations. I never wanted it to be. I want them to be the best person they can be for themselves. Sometimes, that can cause divisiveness amongst me and others. Why wouldn’t it? Being new to a track team and hearing someone you don’t know yell at you because they have a title can be rattling and infuriating. 

I like to think, however, that I have pushed my teammates to be not only the best athletes they can be, but also the truest version of themselves possible. The person that they’re afraid to be. The person that’s worried about getting made fun of. The person that’s willing to talk back and challenge what I’m saying. The person that realizes that they only have one life to live. That’s why I’m hard on my guys. They are so worried about doing something wrong, but I love it when they do. 

One of my favorite quotes I tell incoming freshmen and transfers in my time in other positions is to ‘make mistakes’. There can be no winning without losing. Ever. I can’t even name the amount of times I’ve made a mistake even this week (it’s definitely over 75 though). That’s the joy of living, though. And that’s been the joy of doing this sport and being an athlete at Suffolk University. Being able to mess up, to get ridiculed, to fall, and get back up. That’s the golden part of being a person, and that’s something I’ve come to learn from being an athlete. 

To Coach Darsney, thank you. Your short time here has made me feel more welcome than in any other year here. While I’m upset you didn’t come to this team earlier, I’m beyond grateful to have had the time with you that I did. There are very few coaches in my life that have truly challenged me as a leader and as a person, but I am all the better for it. This team is in very good hands with you at the helm. The ‘children’ are very lucky to have you by their side. 

And to Coach Feldman, all you’ve done sometimes remain hidden. From my days as a freshman cheering me on, knowing I’ve had late nights and early mornings, you are the reason I kept showing up. Your unwavering dedication to this team, and your willingness to help others succeed is beyond meaningful to me, as little as you like to congratulate yourself for it. There have absolutely been times where I’m upset at you, or angry, or stressed because you forget something on meet day, but there has never been a day where I haven’t trusted your leadership and vision. You have a big part in making me into the man and the leader I am today, and I will forever be grateful for it. Thank you for giving me a chance.

Finally, to my teammates. There will be days where you want to quit something. It may be track, it may be school, it may be anything else. Days where the world is rooting against you, where the minutes are hours and the hours are days. Those are the days, however, that make you a stronger person. Ignore the noise. Don’t worry about what other people are doing. Do the things that make you successful, and more importantly, what makes you truly happy and at peace. A lot of you have told me about the impact I’ve had on you, but truly the greatest honor in my life has been to serve all of you, and be the person you all go to. There is no bigger accomplishment to me than to feel like I’ve helped you out in your journey in life. Thank you for letting me yell at you this year, and be the person you can yell to, or vent to, or enjoy spending time with. It fills my heart with joy.

With love,

Turner