LA JOLLA, Calif. – "There has been a couple of things I have always loved – it's been running and it's been flying," said redshirt senior Aren Johnson of the University of California San Diego cross country team.
That's right, flying airplanes.
While running might be obvious given his choice to race at the collegiate level, flying planes has been a passion for Johnson since he was a little kid.
Johnson grew up on the military base in Miramar, Calif. where his fascination for aircrafts first started . "I played in the old planes - the one's sitting out as decorations, and constantly would go outside to watch jets fly by," said Johnson.
Johnson has quite a strong military background as the last six generations on his father's side served in the Navy. He also attended Army and Navy Academy (ANA) in Carlsbad, Calif. prior to attending UC San Diego, adding to his family's armed forces history.
During the summer of 2017, Johnson earned his pilot's license to fly small, four-seat, one engine planes, like Cessna aircrafts. He is currently in the process of fulfilling the last requirement to fly planes commercially.
While Johnson is set on pursuing a career in the flying realm following graduation, one last cross country race is his primary focus right now – the 2019 NCAA Cross Country Championships. With that said, on top of crediting his teammates and Head Coach Nate Garcia for his successes, much of his competitive mindset developed from the militaristic motive he was raised on.
Between the strict expectations of the ANA and being surrounded by the military in general, a certain mentality has been engraved in Johnson. "You get that militaristic drive of making a mission and setting out to do something and failure is not an option," said Johnson.
"If I decide that this is what I am going to do, this is what I am going to do and there's no backing out of it."
Most of the men's cross country courses are either 8K's or 10K's – long distances with multiple obstacles positioned throughout. Without a doubt, quite strenuous activity on the body.
Johnson lives by the moto his former Marine track coach constantly stated – racing is 10 percent physical and 90 percent mental. "Your mind is going to tell you stop and you have to be able to fight through that," Johnson added.
Johnson did not begin running cross country until his freshman year of high school and admits his ignorance to the rigorous sport due to ANA's lack of a program.
"Coming to UC San Diego was a whole new world since I didn't have a coach for cross country specifically. The program [at UC San Diego] is very official," Johnson mentioned. "Coach [Nate] Garcia was my first real coach and I completely bought in once coming here."
Between cross country and track and field, Johnson is on season number nine with Garcia as his coach. "I can't thank him enough. A lot of what I have been able to accomplish today is completely because of him."
From joining the team as a walk on his freshman season, to capturing All-California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) and All-West Region honors, as well as an automatic bid to the 2019 NCAA Championship, Aren Johnson has made the most out of his final season.
And the best is yet to come.
"One of the reasons I love this sport is having that ability to push yourself and achieve goals, which you can believe in other aspects of life too," Johnson expressed. "I want to accomplish these things not necessarily for glory but because it's fun and makes me a better human overall."
Johnson awaits the national meet alongside his teammates, this Saturday, Nov. 23 in Sacramento, Calif., for a chance at an NCAA title. The men's 10K will begin at 11:15 a.m. PST, following the women's 6K at 10 a.m. PST. The team captain has his sights on NCAA All-America honors (top-15) and will yet again look to his militarily mentality to excel at the highest level he possibility can.
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With 30 national team championships, nearly 150 individual titles and the top student-athlete graduation rate among Division II institutions in the United States, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program annually ranks as one of the most successful in the country. The Tritons sponsor 23 intercollegiate sport programs that compete on the NCAA Division I and II levels and, in summer 2020, will transition into full Division I status as a member of the Big West Conference. UC San Diego student-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent. A total of 82 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have earned prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. In competition, more than 1,300 UC San Diego student-athletes have earned All-America honors.
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