Salute to Seniors | Stephen Bondurich - Chatham HS


Soon to be finishing up our Salute to Senior series, enjoy our next post by Stephen Bondurich of Chatham HS. 

Name: Stephen Bondurich
School: Chatham High School


What was your most memorable race/moment?

Anchoring the 4x400 at the county championship this past winter. I took the hand off in third place with about a 20 meter gap between me and the Morris Hills runner, who was in first. I split an indoor PR of 49.3 and ended up taking the lead within the last 50 meters and finishing in first place. We had a huge rivalry with Morris Hills in that event. They edged us out of first for every race that season. This was the first time we beat them. Everyone in the room was going crazy. People from other teams were congratulating me after the race, elated to see us take down one of the most talent relay teams in the state. We also broke the county meet record. It was ecstasy.


Who would you consider your biggest competition over your four years?

It's a tie between Christian Kildal-Brandt and Greg Stickle. Last year I was always the third fastest 400m runner behind those two whenever we were at a meet together. Even though I knew I would never beat them, I always tried to run as if I could. This year, I imagined that they were still around, and this motivated me to train harder and strive to beat their old times. In my head I was still competing with them. I aspired to reach that sort of legendary status they had in the county, even though I never quite got there.


What was your greatest accomplishment?

Placing 7th in the 400 at Meet of Champions this past winter. Just qualifying for MOC was incredible, but medalling there was something really special. That's the meet you spend your entire season training for. It's the end of the line. Everyone wants to put forth their best race there. To do so well at the highest level of competition in the state is extremely gratifying.


If you could do it all over again what would you change about your running career in high school?

If I could go back, I would treat every year like my senior year. Since I knew this would be my last chance at running, I went all out this year in terms of preparation and training. I left nothing behind. I really appreciated every practice, race, and experience I had as a runner. There are so many amazing memories from this year. I took it all in and I loved every second of it. My only regret is that I did not adopt this mentality sooner.


What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome?

Over this past spring break I was involved in a nasty car crash. I was sitting in the backseat and got t-boned by a distracted driver going about 45 miles per hour. I sustained a really bad concussion from that, as well as a few other minor injuries in my ankle and ribs. My doctor told me that my running career was over after the accident. That was devastating. However, this did not break me. Instead of giving up and feeling sorry for myself, I just focused on doing everything I could to facilitate my recovery, clinging to the hope that I might be able to come back in time. It was agonizing to have to lay in bed for all that time, thinking about my body weakening and everyone else out there getting better. But that's what the doctor told me to do, so I bit the bullet and followed her orders. It was sort of a miracle, but after one month, I was cleared to run again. I missed the fun part of the season where there are a lot of dual and relay meets, but I was back in time for championship season.  My next obstacle was getting back into shape because I was basically bedridden for the entire time I had the concussion. I think got back into training too quickly, as I hurt my hamstrings in my first week back. I dealt with those nagging injuries for the rest of the season, but my return was as phenomenal as it was unexpected. I broke the school records in the 400, 400 hurdles, 4x200, and 4x400. I am so lucky to have come back from the accident like this. I refuse to let myself think about where I could be if it never happened because I am so happy with what I was still able to do.


What will you miss the most?

I'm going to miss running everyday with my team. I will miss being part of a 4x400 because we all really developed a special connection with each other as members of that grueling yet rewarding relay. I'm going to miss that nervous feeling of anticipation that comes before a race. I'll especially miss going out to dinner with my coaches and teammates the night before Groups and Meet of Champions. I called these outings our "last suppers." It was a really nice way to bond as a team and celebrate how far we had come.


What advice would you give to younger athletes?

Being a runner is a lifestyle. If you commit yourself to better nutrition, you'll feel much better overall and see improvements in your performance. Also, make a disciplined effort to get enough sleep at night. This can difficult, sometimes impossible to manage, but you will never regret getting over 8 hours a night. Finally, always have a goal in mind of what you want to get out of your training every day. If you have a recovery day, don't push yourself. You have to listen to your body, which means that sometimes you can't train as much as you like. Track is a super fun sport, but high school goes by quickly. Make sure you enjoy it while you can.


What influence has your coach had with respect to your performance and overall life goals?

I consider Coach Barry to be as much of a life coach as he is a track coach. He has believed in me from the very beginning, and that is why I have been able to be successful. When I was a slow, gawky freshman, he encouraged me to keep running and just stick with it. He gave me a much needed place to start. Since then, he has made sure of my physical and mental well being as I progressed as a runner.  Besides that, he is an extremely wise and comforting person to talk to. Many times I came to him a hysterical mess all worked up about something. I can't count the number of times he's told me "Steve, you worry too much." He never failed to calm me down and reassure me that things would be okay in the end. He helped me put things into perspective. Coach Barry has taught me that there are many ways to find happiness in life and to just keep pushing forward when things get tough.


What are your college plans?

I will be attending Pennsylvania State University this fall. I'm not running for the team there, but I plan on joining a track club.


Who would you like to say 'thank you' to?

I owe countless thank you's to all those who contributed to my career. I would like to thank all of the track coaches I have interacted with over the years for their endless support, advice, and for steering me in the right direction. Thank you to my parents for being my managers and making sure I was always well fed and well prepared for meets. You both made this possible. Thank you to our athletic trainer, Mike, for helping me stave off injury after injury. He really cared about me, and I would not have been able to continue my season without him. Thank you to Vena for being my role model and inspiration long after he graduated. Thank you to my old wrestling coach, Coach Brian, for teaching me self-reliance, resilience, and the true meaning of hard work. Some of my greatest attributes as an athlete I learned on a wrestling mat. Thank you to everyone who cheered for me during my races; a little motivation goes a long way when you're dying in the last straight of a 400. And finally, thank you to Ms. Emr and Teresa for motivating me to chase my dreams and be not afraid.


Is there anything else you'd like to add?

I get asked all the time about my eye black. Yes, I understand that I look like an idiot wearing eye black at track meets, but I honestly don't care. I have a reason for it. I bought it last year for my first winter track season because I was so pumped about becoming a full time runner. However, no one hesitated to inform me how ridiculous of an idea this was. Ceding to the opinions of my teammates, I suspended my use of eye black. I didn't want it to go to waste, so I resolved to use it on the last race of the year. I wore eye black for MOC to end my junior year, and it felt great. I figured I would reserve it for my last race as a senior as well. However, during the offseason, my life kind of fell apart. Many terrible things happened without warning. I was in a very bad spot in life, basically. As I worked my way out of this downward spiral, one of the things I came to realize is that there are no guarantees. Life can be as unpredictable as it is unforgiving. Going into my senior year, I wanted to fully appreciate and be mindful of everything I had. No one is immune to injuries, accidents, or disasters. When it came to running, I realized every step I took, every jump I made, every race I finished could be my last. And if it were my last race, I wanted to go out wearing eye black. So that's why I started wearing eye black full time; I was treating every day like I would get hit by a car in the next (there's a beautiful irony). I think this mentality is part of the reason I loved my final year so much. The eye black reminded me to give it all I had while I still had something to give.