From running cross country to shredding it on the mountain, HRVHS sophomore Yasmine Rivera has done it all. She enjoys sports and is always willing to try out new things. Aside from cross country and snowboarding, she has also done karate, gymnastics, soccer, volleyball, track and field, and swimming. In her past years, Yasmine has achieved being on varsity for volleyball and discus. “It’s all about hard work and just being dedicated to what you are doing,” she states.

Despite loving all these sports and activities, she has a greater and stronger passion for running. Yasmine first joined cross country in 6th grade, track followed soon after, and has since then found her prefered sport. To prove her dedication to running, she has decided to leave the swim team this year to join winter track. She runs after school Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, then going up to the weight room right after. Many people might wonder why someone would want to run during the winter but Yasmine thinks it’s very beneficial to “stay fit and condition before the season begins.”

Though Yasmine is dedicated to her sports, she is just as equally dedicated to school. Being a student athlete isn’t easy but Yasmine has a precise schedule on how to go about it. “First I go to practice of course, but once I get home, I immediately begin doing my homework and studying,” she states. Something she does to make everything go smoothly is to make sure to  learn and understand material during class so she doesn’t have to waste unnecessary time trying to learn it at home.

Doing multiple sports and maintaining good grades at the same time might already seem difficult enough, but it doesn’t stop there for Yasmine Rivera. She also has to maintain her weekend job at Mt. Hood Meadows, meaning even less time for her to do homework. How does she do it? “I do most of my homework at school so I don’t have to stress about it too much at home. I leave some to take home to study, though.” Being a student athlete is something she takes pride in, and it really gives off a good impression of herself to others.

Having all these things going on in her life, she sometimes has had to sacrifice spending time with her friends. She’s convinced 3 of her closest friends in joining cross country with her. One of the friends she got into cross country, sophomore Adriana Galvez says, “She convinced us to run cross country with her. I’m grateful she did. I can tell how much dedication she has to the sport.” Adriana also stated, “Yasmine is very competitive. Though she probably doesn’t mean to, she is always trying to race and show us what she can do. She doesn’t do it purposely I think, she just naturally has this competitive nature to her.”

Yasmine clearly has a busy and active life with sports while still maintaining exceptional grades and taking on a job during the weekends. She is very motivational towards others. She always comes to practice with a competitive yet motivating vibe, and that is one of the qualities her teammates love and enjoy about her. Yasmine still has plenty of time to improve her running skills for the future.

By Maya Mondragon, Talon staff reporter