Athlete of the Week: Grayson Derossi
Senior and co-captain Grayson Derossi’s cross country career has been defined by perseverance and resilience. Currently the fastest 1500m runner in the school and one of the top seven for the team this year, Derossi began running during spring track of his prep year. Originally intending to be a jumper, Derossi was accidentally placed onto the distance running group and decided to go with it. Lower fall, Derossi tried out for the cross country team for the first time. However, he was cut from the team. Despite the setback, Derossi continued to train and improve through club running, winter and spring track. His hard work and dedication paid off his upper year, when he not only made the team but was elected as a co-captain. Now as a senior, Derossi continues to lead the 35 members of the cross country team in his final season.
Derossi credits former teammates Cam Corso ‘17 and Issay Matsumoto ‘17 for being two of his “biggest motivators.” The senior recalls Corso encouraging him to start running during his prep year and expressed his gratitude for Corso’s encouragement. Derossi also explained that he has looked up to Matsumoto who always pushed him to be better. The captain also expressed his appreciation of the cross country coaches. “They always believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself, and are the heart of our XC program,” he explained.
Since joining his upper year, Derossi has become a member of the tight knit cross country team. Derossi’s familiarity with the team comes naturally after being apart of the distance group during track seasons. “I already knew most of the team because of my seasons on the track team,” he said. “More than anything, joining the cross country team felt like a natural continuation of my seasons running distance track.”
He continued to emphasize the team’s close dynamic. “Boy’s XC is a cult, and we like it that way,” he said. “I love how close our team is; all of us are connected by a bond forged through adventure and pain.” Derossi also discussed how the team’s traditions makes them closer. “We have many proud traditions that we pass on year after year which make our team unique and bring us all closer together,” he explained, citing the team’s catchphrase, “Ache te vitu,” as an example.
Derossi recalled a memory that illustrates the team’s atmosphere. “last year, the team ran to the beach for one practice,” he explained. “It was about ten miles away, and the whole time, even though we were moving at a pretty good pace, we were talking, laughing, and just enjoying each others’ company.”
As a captain, Derossi tries to serve as a role model for everyone on the team. “I strive to provide support and inspiration for all the guys, especially our younger runners,” he said. Despite the quieter side of him, Derossi asks his teammates how their days were and how the races went.
“I want everyone to feel welcome, and to understand that they are all important members of the team and part of a really tight community,” he said.
Teammate and senior Greg Zhu described Derossi to be a supportive and dedicated leader. “He’s a student athlete at heart, always grinding. He’s compassionate, attentive, hard-working, and, most of all, he’s a total badass,” he said. “It’s really hard to encompass how amazing Grayson really is.”
Other teammates expressed similar views. Upper Charlie Neuhaus explained that Derossi had a “soft-spoken but commanding presence.” “Grayson leads by example. While he isn’t strict or authoritative, most people tend to follow his lead, getting work done in practice, and competing against other teams in races,” he said.
At the recent Interschols competition, Derossi exemplified what it meant to be a captain and an athlete with grit. Liu explained that despite the difficult course, Derossi was really smart about how he could be successful. “Though Derossi is on the quieter side, he really leads with his feet and not with his voice. As he was running down the hill during the race, it was just the most intense face of anger and showed how much he wanted to catch up with the people ahead of him,” he said.
According to Derossi, he hopes to encourage his teammates to fall in love with cross country and with our team just like he had. “I hope that I can also encourage them to keep running in the future and to continue upholding the values and traditions that make our team so incredible. In short, I hope to be a mentor and a friend to the team, just as the runners who graduated before me,” he said.
Derossi plans to continue running once he graduates from Exeter, as the sport has become a big part of his life. Though he doesn’t plan to run as part of a college team, he hopes to keep training on his own through a club or even compete in local races. Derossi expressed his bittersweet sentiments in leaving the team, since the team itself was one of the best parts of the sport. “The group of guys on the team, both those who have graduated and those running now, are the biggest reason I love the sport and our program. They have made my time as a runner and as an Exonian so much more meaningful, and I will miss them greatly,” he said.