Being an athlete isn’t easy, especially at the collegiate level. It takes time, dedication and passion for your sport. An athlete needs motivation at all times to reach their full potential and inspiration to work hard. For Dustin Roth, he is his own inspiration.
He is a senior health, fitness and recreation major with a nutrition minor here at Millikin. He has competed in sports of all kinds while growing up. Football, basketball, soccer, wrestling and even cheerleading were just some that he participated in. But even after all these sports, his love for track & field won him over after competing in it since he was 11 years old.
He has loved being on the Big Blue track & field team for the past three years. “I enjoy it a lot; it’s a fun atmosphere,” Roth said.
He is an unusual track athlete though. A typical track athlete will only do around one to three events per meet, yet Roth does seven per meet during indoor season, the heptathlon, and 10 per meet during outdoor season, the decathlon. Sounds like hard work, but he wouldn’t want it any other way.
“I like doing a lot of different things. It’s never the same, and I don’t like sitting around during a meet,” Roth said.
Currently he looks like he will leave his last track season for Millikin with a bang. He has broken his personal records in all his events besides pole vault in indoor season. Along with breaking personal records, he has recently broken the school record in the men’s heptathlon and is on the top 10 list for multiple other events.
“I actually didn’t find out I broke the [heptathlon] record until the next day. I was surprised,” Roth said.
His athletic talent helps him achieve his goals in the classroom. “Being a student athlete is both hard and benefiting. It teaches me to push myself beyond my limits,” Roth said. He is also a member of the fraternity Sigma Alpha Epsilon and part of the club SAAC (Student Athletic Advisory Committee).
A love for fitness has always run in his blood. Before coming to Millikin, he attended Jefferson College in Missouri and was an architectural engineering major. But when he came to Millikin, he switched over to the health, fitness and recreation major and has big plans after graduation. He has an internship in Bloomington, Ill over the summer to be a personal trainer for gymnasts training for the Olympics. His dreams are to coach track and one day open his own gym.
For the rest of the coming track season, Roth hopes to continue improving. Currently he is ranked third in the long jump and is top 10 in the hurdles in the CCIW conference. He hopes to make a statement at the conference meet coming up soon.
“I really want to improve my confidence this season as well,” Roth said. His success comes from his physical and mental toughness.
When asked who his biggest inspiration in life is, he has a unique response. “I don’t have one; I am my own inspiration,” Roth said.
He pushes himself beyond his limits and enjoys every second of being an athlete. With his success and drive this season, he might just become the next Bruce Jenner.