Local high school senior spring athletes have been robbed of their final season of athletics. And it hurts. We hope we can make some of them feel a little better with our Meet the Athlete Q&A. Please enjoy.
NAME: Jamison DeFaria
SCHOOL/YEAR OF GRADUATION: Bishop Connolly High School / 2020
HOME: Westport
INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @jamisondefaria
SPRING SPORT: Track & Field
OTHER SPORTS: Cross country, basketball
COLLEGE: Nichols College
Arguably Fall River’s top cross country last fall, DeFaria was a key contributor off the bench for the Cougars’ league champion basketball team in the winter. He was poised for a terrific outdoor track season in the distance events.
Herald News: What person, living or dead, do you most admire and why?
Jamison DeFaria: I can't pick one person that I admire most. There are so many inspirational and amazing people that have lived that I value and have learned from throughout my life.
HN: Who is your favorite athlete and why?
JD: My favorite athlete would be Sir Mo Farah of Great Britain. Farah has been a huge inspiration for why I took up running, and I have learned many lessons on how to be a successful athlete from his advice on training and competing. His famous quote, "Don't dream of winning, train for it!" truly motivates me to work hard and focus on dedicating time to running in order to be successful. In addition to being inspired by Farah, I also enjoy watching him run because he is one of the most dominant distance runners in the modern track and field era.
HN: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
JD: To be honest, I am not entirely sure where I will be in 10 years. I do have a plan for what I want to accomplish and pursue in both my athletic and work careers, but I don't have a definite idea of where I will be 10 years from now. There are many things that can happen in this next decade that can easily direct my life down a different avenue. Wherever I may be in 10 years though, I do envision myself to be happy and thankful for my life.
HN: What has been your biggest moment as a high school athlete?
JD: My biggest moment as a high school athlete would have to be placing among the top 30 seniors in the junior/senior race at the Foot Locker Northeast Regional meet. It was an unbelievable experience to be able to stand alongside various other seniors across the Northeast region of the country and to be named to the All Northeast Third Team.
HN: What has it been like losing your final high school sports season?
JD: It definitely hurt to not have been able to compete one final season in high school, but I can't complain because I still am running and the people I care about are safe and healthy. Overall, I appreciate the positive aspects of our time during quarantine because I have more time to focus on spending time with family and learning new talents, both of which would be more difficult to accomplish during school and the spring season.
HN: What is your level of concern/fear over COVID-19?
JD: My concern over COVID-19 has definitely been diminished in these past few weeks. I have become much more positive and faithful that we all will come out of this horrible pandemic better, and that the worst of this virus is behind us. Ultimately, as long as we take our necessary precautions as a community, we will be safe.
HN: When not playing high school sports, how do you spend your spare time?
JD: Most of my time both in and off season is just running, working out, and tracking my nutrition. Other than that, I enjoy playing video games, playing basketball, writing lyrics for raps, and drawing.
HN: How do you hope to be remembered as a student-athlete?
JD: I hope to be remembered as a hard worker and competitive student-athlete. I always felt that my strongest talent during my career was that I competed constantly to make sure that I could reach my full potential. I definitely was not the most talented student or athlete, but I always attempted to practice, study, and compete to the best of my abilities to ensure that I could succeed in any class or race. Ultimately, I would be satisfied if people recognized me as the hardest worker.
HN: What is your favorite subject in school and why?
JD: I don't believe that I could choose a singular subject as my favorite because I did enjoy various ones throughout my studies in high school. If I were to choose my favorite, however, it would definitely be one of the subjects from the humanities because I found this discipline to be the most interesting.
HN: If you won a million dollars, what would be your first purchase?
JD: The first thing I would do with one million dollars is to pay off my college tuition and room/board.
HN: Tell us something most people don't know about you.
JD: One thing I don't think people know about me is that I can sometimes be sensitive and emotional.
HN: What is your favorite dinner meal?
JD: Buffalo mac & cheese is my favorite dinner meal.
HN: Favorite dessert?
JD: Ice cream is by far my favorite dessert.
HN: What is your favorite book?
JD: Even though it is not a novel and is more of an instructional guide, my favorite book would be "The Little Red Book of Running" by Scott Douglas. It is a small book that I enjoy to use to help guide me through my training.
HN: What is your favorite TV show?
JD: Recently, I have enjoyed watching past seasons of Gordon Ramsay's "Hell's Kitchen" and "Kitchen Nightmares".
HN: How long could you function without your smart phone?
JD: I could function for quite a long time without my smart phone.
HN: Mustard or ketchup?
JD: Mustard.
HN: Whom in this world would you most like to hit in the face with a pie?
JD: I would love to hit my brother, Brandon, in the face with a pie.I think it would be hilarious.
Check out our other senior spring athlete Q&As.
Amber Arruda
Julia Kelly
Kirk Rowe
Jessica Albin
Madison Amaral
Email Greg Sullivan at gsullivan@heraldnews.com. Follow him @GregSullivanHN.