"IT'S WORTH IT" by Mia Picazo

High School: Santa Maria High School

District: Santa Maria ISD

Grade Level: 12

Age: 18

Sports: Cross-country, Track & Field, Volleyball, Basketball

Class: 2024

Academic Achievements and Awards: Ranked 4th in Class of 2024, Completed internship for DHR, Acquired welding certification

Athletic Achievements and Awards: Basketball Newcomer of the year, placed top three at district for cross country. Sophomore year- Co-mvp in basketball, 1st team all district in volleyball, regional qualifier in cross country. Junior year- Academic all district in basketball, 1st team all district in volleyball, state medalist in cross country, top 5 at state in track & field Senior year- Co-mvp in volleyball, state qualifier in cross country

My name is Mia Picazo and I am a high school student at Santa Maria High School. Sports have always been a huge part of my life. My parents started me at a very young age, they got me involved in little leagues for basketball, volleyball and also entered me into the games of texas summer track program. I was also in TAFA cheerleading for many years where we would cheer for the football team and compete. Having these experiences and obtaining the knowledge from these sports as a child really helped me stand out from the athletes throughout middle school and high school. They’ve led me to push myself in many different ways both in and outside of sports.

There have been many times when I've doubted my abilities but the most recent one was this past week. Throughout this year's track season I had not been able to drop my times. I was starting to doubt myself and my potential. This doubt had caused me to push myself more during practice. This past race I was finally able to drop my time to a new pr.

"IT'S WORTH IT" Sunglasses Inspired by Mia P.

An injury I dealt with that caused me a lot of frustration was shin splints. This injury really took a toll on me, I wasn't able to complete a full workout because of the pain it caused me. I tried so many things like icing, applying heat, rolling but none of it fully healed the pain. The whole situation really had me disappointed because of the setback it caused to my cross country season. Finally, I was told to make an appointment to get it massaged. After two appointments, it was basically completely healed.

The most important advice a coach has given me is “mind over body.” Your mentality plays a huge role in this sport. You need to be mentally tough to push yourself to your limits and through all the discomfort you feel. Some advice I would give to a younger athlete who is starting track; is to have fun with the sport and don’t degrade yourself if you're not doing good at first. It’s a very hard sport to dedicate yourself to but when you finally start to see results it's worth it.

What comes to my mind when reading the words “Embrace Doubt” is to take in the doubt that you or others have and turn it into a reason to prove those feelings wrong and push yourself to do better.

In the next five years I see myself still doing the sport I love and making myself and my loved ones proud while also getting the education I need for my future.

-Mia Picazo / Embrace Doubt 6/17/24