Congratulations Aidan Burkhardt 2021 GOAL Magazine Student Athlete Honoree
GOAL: How have you recently overcome adversity? Aidan: While my school was closed during the pandemic, I had to come up with a way to improve athletically during quarantine. After completing my schoolwork each day, I went outside and worked on my sprinting starts and my running form. I lifted weights, played basketball, and sprinted until the sun went down. Due to my hard work, during our second meet this year, I got 1st place in the 100-meter dash for the first time in my high school career. In addition, I won the 2021 Westmoreland County Coaches Association Championship. GOAL: In addition to excelling in the classroom and on the track, how do you give back to your community? Aidan: I help to deliver food to children in need through Food2Go, and I just started mentoring kids through Outdoor Odyssey to teach them what it means to be a leader. GOAL: Is there a professional athlete that you look up to that motivates you to succeed not only on the track but also in the classroom? Aidan: Kobe Bryant is my favorite athlete, and one of his quotes motivates me daily: “Everything negative - pressure, challenges - is all an opportunity for me to rise.”
Graduation Year: 2023 Sport: Track and Field Achievements: Made the Varsity Team in 8th Grade, 3-year letter winner, Average of 10+ points per track meet, top 10% of class in academics with a 4.0 overall GPA.
GOAL: What do you hope to accomplish both athletically and academically in the future? Aidan: Athletically, I want to become an Olympic champion to inspire others to live their lives to the fullest. Academically, I would like to go into the psychology field or sports medicine to help others deal with their problems and act like a guide to the correct solutions.
The GOAL Magazine Student Athlete is chosen by the GOAL Magazine team from a pool of nominated local student athletes that have shown significant athletic progress and overcome adversity due to hard work and dedication while maintaining an average or above average grade point average. If you would like to nominate an individua for the Winter Issue of GOAL Magazine Student Athlete, please visit www.go2goalus.com to learn how.
28 GOALMagazine: A Publication of Go2Goal | Summer/Fall 2021
