Black Athlete Spotlight

Although BHS senior Armana Aradom did not start her athletic career running track, she eventually grew to love the sport. “I grew up doing gymnastics, and then I started playing volleyball a little bit in freshman year, but I dropped that really quickly after,” she said. Aradom got into track because of her friends and the very inviting community. “I think the coaches make an environment that's really supportive,” Aradom explained. To prepare and focus herself, Aradom journals and meditates to gain calmness before a track meet. She also has to train very hard even in the regular season, and offseason to prepare. “We have practices five days a week. And we also do weight room training almost every day,”  Aradom said. Being a senior, Aradom wants to finish off strong and enjoy her last moments with the team. Through track, she has also learned to keep going “I've learned how to push forward when things get hard and to kind of keep going,” Aradom said.

Introduced to baseball by his father, Berkeley High School junior Quinton Hill has been playing the sport for more than a decade. “He used to take me to the field and pitch to me all the time when I was little,” Hill said. What began as a shared interest with his dad quickly became a passion. The competitive nature and brotherhood of baseball are what he likes the most. “It's not something you could just be naturally good at. It's something you have to work hard for,” Hill said. Throughout his baseball career, Hill has dealt with mental challenges, such as coping with the pressure of feeling responsible for a loss. Hill manages these hard moments with mindfulness. “I meditate a lot,” Hill said, “My mom encouraged that upon me.” Looking ahead, Hill hopes to play baseball at the collegiate and professional level. “After that, I would love to give back to my community by sharing my knowledge,” he said, hoping to guide younger athletes along the path he is on.

Sarai Algere, a BHS junior, started cheerleading her freshman year. She was encouraged to try out for cheer by a group of friends. “Ever since, it’s been a big part of my life,” Algere said, “I was new to the Bay Area and didn’t really have a community, so when joining cheer and getting a big new family, I absolutely fell in love.” Starting as a freshman, Algere quickly grew into a leadership role and is now a varsity captain. She credits her coaches as her biggest role models. “They saw potential in me that I never saw in myself and inspired me to reach higher,” she said. Like many athletes, Algere has faced challenges such as injury and balancing many responsibilities, but focusing on the positives has been crucial to staying motivated. “The (BHS) cheer team's dynamic is a fun, loving, family dynamic. We always stand 10 toes behind each other, and it’s amazing.”