20 Inside Hokie Sports 99 Bradley Drive Christiansburg NRV Mall 540-381-8100 www.holidayinn.com/cburgnorth Full Service Restaurant Bar & Grill Game Day Catering. Dine in or Room Service Welcome Back HOKIES! After reaching his “movie moment” of winning the national title, he was the happiest he’s ever been and overwhelmed with gratitude to Virginia Tech for giving him the opportunity to swim in the states and to his team for celebrating him well. When Ramadan began his swimming journey, he mainly trained alone, but now, he has an incredible team of supporters to cheer him on and it has made all the difference. “My team is everything to me,” Ramadan said. “After I won, they sent me a clip…my whole team was in this house and they’re seeing the 100 fly, and the way they reacted and everything shows how much support I have and the faith they have in me. Whatever they need me to do, I’ll be there.” That loyalty pushes Ramadan not only to be his best and attribute his successes in part to his teammates but also to learn from his mistakes and move forward. The road to a national championship title is paved with plenty of celebrations along the way but also a few losses. Ramadan recalls times when he didn’t perform his best or hesitated at the start and reflects on the impact it had on him and his future training, recognizing that the thing he’s learned the most is that you have to fail and fail until you succeed. It’s necessary to wait and be patient. Thankfully, the whole swim & dive team has a skilled and caring coaching staff that it can trust with both personal and career advice. “The staff here isn’t here to work, go home and be paid,” Ramadan said. “They’re not here just for that. They are invested in us and don’t only want me to swim fast. They want me to be happy and care about me as a person.” It’s support from Ramadan’s teammates and coaches, hard work, his unbreakable mindset and an impeccable program that led to this moment and there’s much more to come. Road National CHAMPIONSHIP to a Continued from page 19
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