Charles Toledo Leads In More Than Just Running

Junior Charles Toledo is currently the fastest distance runner on the UT cross-country team, so some might be surprised to learn that Toledo just fell into cross-country in high school.

"I really wanted to play football, but I'm a pretty skinny guy," Toledo said. "What really got me into running was this kid I went to middle school with, who was a grade ahead of me. He told me I should try out for the cross-country team and that's basically how that started."

Toledo decided to give cross-country a shot and went to his school's tryout. "The first day of practice, I ran about a half mile and walked the rest," laughed Toledo.

Toledo found that he enjoyed the sport and has been running ever since. When Toledo started on the team as a freshman, his team was almost last in their division. By the time he was a senior, the team had come full-circle and was runner-up in the state.

Due to that success, Toledo was recruited by a few schools. Surprisingly, UT wasn't one of them. "One of my teammates was being recruited by UT. When he was talking about the coaches, I was like 'Maybe I should look into that," Toledo said. Toledo took the initiative and reached out to UT on his own. "I don't blame them for recruiting him instead of me, because in high school, he was faster than me."

UT ended up being the perfect fit because it offered everything Toledo was looking for in a school: a cross-country team, Army ROTC (he knew he wanted to be a part of ROTC because his grandfather, his "role model" served in the Army) and the size of the school.

"I like the small classes and the personal relationships you build with your professors," Toledo said, "I'm definitely really happy with where I'm at-running-wise, academic-wise and ROTC-wise."

Clearly, Toledo has been able to flourish here at UT, from that high school freshman who couldn't finish his first run to the fastest runner on the UT team. "It's motivating to me because really you can do whatever you set your mind to-within reason, obviously," Toledo said.

"I feel like nothing's every come very easy for me; I've always had to work for what I've gotten. That might seem unlucky to some people, but I feel like that's a blessing because I know what it's like to have to work for something and the self-satisfaction of accomplishing something, not just having everything handed to you."

Since the coaches have been so instrumental in helping him develop as a runner and a leader, Toledo tries to pay it forward for the young players on the team. While Toledo isn't one of the team's captains, he understands that as a seasoned runner on the team, he has a leadership role too, even without the title.

"The coaches can give you advice, but they're not with you as much as your teammates. The team itself has a lot more influence on each individual," Toledo said.

As one of the leaders, Toledo tries to help the young runners adjust to the difference between cross-country in high school and cross-country in college, which for male runners, means an increase of running 5Ks to running 10Ks now; which can be difficult to adapt to.

While being the fastest runner on the team is a privilege, it can have its disadvantages too, Toledo pointed out, because there's always the fear that one will become complacent, not striving to catch up to a teammate. "In running, while you are self-motivated, you also have to consider who you're training with," Toledo said.

That never became an issue for Toledo though, something he attributes to his coaches: Head Coach Jarrett Slaven and Asst. Coach Dror Vaknin.

In addition to running, Toledo is a member of Army ROTC preparing for a career either in the Army or another branch of government. Once Toledo graduates, he'll be commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Army and will owe four years of service for the ROTC scholarship.

When he graduates, how he performed in his program, his GPA in his General Studies major and his extra-curricular activities will collectively determine whether he is placed in Active Duty, National Guard or in the Army Reserves. After his four years of service are up, Toledo will be able to decide if he wants to stay in the Army or leave to pursue another path.

"Ultimately, what I want to do is Army intelligence and I'd like to go into the CIA. That's something I want to do, whether I make the Army a career or not," Toledo said.

While cross-country running won't be his career, Toledo believes that it has helped immensely in various facets of his life. "I think it has helped me because in order to improve, you have to plan things out, set goals and look at the big picture," Toledo said. "That's the same thing with life: you can't just wander aimlessly and expect big things to happen."

Written by April Weiner