Jacob Gizzi Father Judge High School Phila. Pa 11/9/23 People expect me to feel sorry about myself and just give up because of my childhood. Instead, I use this as motivation to push me every day to keep moving forward. I have not only lost one parent but sadly both which has forced me to be raised by my grandparents which I am extremely grateful. I lost both of my parents at a young age from drugs and they never would have been able to support me with the mental state they were in. This has been a huge part of my life because I go to sleep every night thinking how life would be different with two parents. It hits me a lot during the holidays, Mother and Father's Day. Again, I am still very grateful I have two grandparents in my life who do their best to fill the role. I try my best to find the good in life and know God has a plan for everything and I need to trust it. It also breaks me down at times to see my twin brother upset over our past because we have been through it all together. Pretty soon I will be graduating high school and I have been through a lot of obstacles but I stay strong because I know I have my brother on my side. I picked up running when I was in 4th grade and plan on running next year. I am still undecided about where I want to attend next year but will always keep my same work ethic and mindset with me. I run cross country in the fall and have two All-Catholics for my league and a state qualifier. In the winter I run indoor track and have two All-Catholics a state qualifier and a school record. In the spring I compete in outdoor track and have one All-Catholic and a state qualifier. My brother and I just had an article written about us within our neighborhood on how we both succeeded on the track even with our childhood not being "normal."(I will put the article link below, feel free to read it) This sport has taken me away from the world in so many ways. Whether it is a race or just a 10-mile run I always feel free and it blocks the world out. It is just me vs me when I am on a run and this has built me incredibly strong mentally. Motivation will never be a problem for me, I have been doubted because people think I am weak due to my past but I prove that it does not define me. In the future, I look to help athletes who are having a mental block or cannot perform because of something non-sport-related. I know how it feels to go through something at home and not be able to perform in athletics because of it. I had coaches help me overcome it so I want to make sure people have someone to help them overcome it as well. Thank You, Jacob Gizzi https://northeasttimes.com/2023/08/13/brotherly-love-runs-in-the-family/