TJ’s Polar Bear Club keeps runners active in the winter.
Artwork by Hayden Johnson
For over a month, TJ Cross Country Coach Wendy Doyle has been leading a group of runners and athletes – consisting of both students and teachers – in their pursuit to stay fit and active during the winter. This group, dubbed “the Polar Bear Club,” has braved the harshest of weather for the sake of fitness, preparation for upcoming sports, and simply a love of running. “We do it so that both students and teachers can have a group that will push them physically, and give them purpose to run,” said Doyle.
Every day after school, the group meets to perform a variety of exercises, usually consisting of running around the neighborhood or on the school track. “It’s been really cold, sometimes freezing,” said Doyle. “That’s pretty much how we got our name. If it’s truly terrible weather, we’ll do stair exercises. But we end up breaking a sweat no matter what.”
Currently, the group is relatively small, consisting of five to ten teachers –including Math Teacher Aimee Witulski and English Teacher Gabrielle Gerlits – and students –including Junior Keith Hussey and Sophomore Morgan Brady – who regularly practice. Since this is the club’s first year in action, Doyle anticipates the club’s growth in future years. “This is the first year we’ve done this sort of thing, so I’m not sure where it’s going to go,” said Doyle. “We’re really just piloting it.”
While Doyle has no set plans on the future of the club, she hopes to move it in a more competitive direction before long. “In future years, I think we’ll be able to run some meets, or some 5k’s during the winter,” said Doyle. “I also hope we can do the Colfax marathon at the end of May. But that’ll take quite a bit of training. Usually it’s only teachers who do that.” Last year Doyle organized a TJ team consisting of many of the teachers presently in Polar Bear Club.
Many of the students in Polar Bear Club are also athletes in spring sports, and hope to use the club as a warm-up for the upcoming season. One of these athletes, Hussey, is a member of not only Polar Bear Club, but also Track and Cross Country. “My goal is to have some training before this upcoming Track and Cross Country season,” said Hussey. “Doyle’s a great source to get that sort of training.”
Having run for TJ since his freshman year, Hussey can easily recollect why he enjoys the sport. “I feel like I’m a pretty decent runner, and I’m super competitive, “ said Hussey. “By running, I’ve got some great people to compete with. It gives me drive. And Polar Bear Club is a great way to release that drive.”
Hussey’s motivation to run has also led him to compete on TJ’s Track Team, fueling his high hopes for this upcoming season. “Our track team has won city four years straight. I have super high expectations for this year,” said Hussey. “We have some tough competitors for this year, such as East and George, but I still think we’ll emerge as top runners.”
After attracting multiple Cross Country runners, including Hussey, Doyle notes that Polar Bear Club is a great way to keep her runners motivated for the next season. “I don’t want them to lose their stamina,” commented Doyle.
According to Doyle, along with her shivering team of athletes, their stamina is only increased by harsh weather conditions during training. “Our worst day was when we had to run on the track sometime last week,” said Doyle. “It was blowing snow, and the temperature dropped at least 20 degrees. It was miserable to say the least.”
With twenty years of running under her belt, Doyle is glad to be sharing her experience with the TJ community through Polar Bear Club. “I like doing this because it helps people find a group,” said Doyle. “Having a group you can count on to help motivate you is very important in staying in shape, especially during rough weather.”
Anyone interested in joining Polar Bear Club can contact Wendy Doyle in room 125.
