Being a student-athlete can be a difficult lifestyle to keep up with. Trying to give two things 100 percent of one’s effort can be draining and seem impossible. The stresses of senior year and college can be hard to cope with, but senior Bradley Gaydovchik has become familiar with the lifestyle of a student-athlete over the past four years and has surpassed expectations of being exceptional at both.

Gaydovchik has been playing sports since he was young began running cross country in sixth grade. Since he excelled in running from the start, he continued to push himself harder in cross country. To Gaydovchik, running gives him a sense of fitness and accomplishment in his life. Cross country requires athletes to have a high amount of endurance and stamina to keep up with the pace of running three miles every race.

“The past four years have been a major learning experience,” Gaydovchik said. “I became a much better student as the years went on and my grades improved significantly. I also learned that if you want to enjoy life, you need to be assertive and not be afraid to work for what you want. Nothing is simply handed to you in life. My commitment to running increased over the years as I began to put in more miles over the summer and on weekends to become the best I can be.”

Gaydovchik has been on the cross country team since freshman year. He created a strong relationship with his peers and excelled as an individual and as a teammate. Along with cross country, Gaydovchik also participated in track and field and National Honor Society.

“I will miss Antioch’s cross country team,” Gaydovchik said. “I have grown so close with coaches Bailey and Hlinak over the past four years, as well as my fellow teammates. College will not be the same without Fox River Park and summer running with the team.”

Coach Christopher Bailey has watched Gaydovchik grow over the past four years as both a student and a runner.

“Brad is a great leader and motivator in the fact that he keeps everyone loose,” Bailey said. “He is a very funny guy and his teammates love having him around. He has also physically grown and has developed more strength over the past four years.”

Gaydovchik has had many successes over the past four years in sports and school.

“Getting a PR of 18:52 for the three mile in cross country was my greatest achievement,” Gaydovchik said.”This happened my junior year at the Aurora meet. I was also proud of myself when I worked up the courage to ask somebody to homecoming.”

Going into the final year of high school, seniors often have time to reflect on the past four years of their life. The memories seniors made in high school shaped them into who they are today and will be a part of them forever. High school is a time where people grow from a kid into an adult. After four years of hard work and dedication, each senior hopes to leave their mark on the school.

“I hope to be remembered as the guy who says the funniest things at the most random moments,” Gaydovchik said. “I care a lot about other people and their well-being. I love to make people laugh; I don’t like to be a burden and I love the feeling you get from lending a helping hand.”

Gaydovchik used his positive attitude and personality to make plenty of friends. Senior Katelyn Steuer shares a long-time friendship with Gaydovchik. The two met in kindergarten and have remained friends since.

“I would describe Brad as one-of-a-kind,” Steuer said. “He is always in a good mood and always knows how to make the class laugh. My favorite memory with Brad is when we read a musical in class, he really made the character his own and made it funny. It was definitely what I would look forward to during school.”

In the fall, Gaydovchik will be attending Iowa State University to study civil and environmental engineering. When he is older, he hopes to fix society’s infrastructure and technology to provide a more sustainable and efficient future for humanity and the environment. Although he will not be continuing as an athlete, running will always have a big place in his heart.

“I would love to continue running in college, at least as a club or intramural type program,” Gaydovchik said. “I’m going to run until I die.”