Sports Spotlight: Kamari Garcon

Senior Kamari Garcon transferred from Evans High to Ocoee High last year, and since then he’s found a home on the school’s cross-country and track teams. Last season Garcon was one of two athletes from the Knights track team to make it to regionals.
 

When did you first get into running?

In middle school I always wanted to run track, but I used to do theater, so I didn’t really have time to do track, because theater was just so much — I was always occupied. I ended up leaving that school, and then when I went to high school … they didn’t have such a good theater program, so it kind of forced me to do track, because I just didn’t want to be on my butt at home.
 

What has kept you motived to stay in the sport?

The idea of being in shape and always having a new boundary to pass. Once I started doing track — and seeing me putting in work that created results — it was something that I wanted.
 

What is your favorite thing about running?

My favorite thing about participating is testing that boundary. I like being in shape, and it also keeps me out of trouble. The most challenging part about the sport is there is always going to be practice. That’s the hardest part, because you always face your mind, you have to tell yourself, ‘Mind over matter.’ I have this thing I say to myself when I’m running. I call it, ‘Pushing past,’ and basically what I mean by that is I’m pushing past the ideas of being tired, pushing past my legs burning and just keep pushing until you finish.
 

What is the biggest change you’ve seen in yourself since you first started?

The biggest change I’ve seen in myself is that I’m not a quitter. Running has changed (me). I was told by many people there is so much potential, but I’m tired of seeing the potential. I want to put the potential into kinetic energy — I actually want to get to that point where I’m at my peak.

What was your first year like at Ocoee?

My first year at Ocoee was amazing running cross-country. When I was running track, it was a while to get to where I was important to my team, but I trained, and I worked my butt off. I went to regionals last year — that was my first time receiving an award for running.
 

Do you have a highlight moment that stands out during your time at Ocoee?

My highlight moment would be going to regionals. Also this year, too, at the start of my track season every meet I was proud of myself, because I was (setting personal records) — every meet I dropped my time down. I had a very good season, I was in shape — I could tell because how my body was, how I was running and how good it felt running.