Just because you see Joe Berrafati ’17 running, and pretty fast, at that, does not mean that he is hiding. In his second year at Choate, “Jumbo” Joe is turning heads with his blazing speeds and jaw-dropping times on the varsity cross country team. Originally from Wilton, CT, Berrafati won the Freshman cross country award at Wilton High School in 2013. Since joining Choate as a new sophomore, he has shown leadership and diligence on the trails and in the classroom. This summer, through tireless training, he ran over 300 miles in preparation for his junior campaign. This training has paid off: he ran a 4:57 mile at the start of the season and placed first for Choate in their meet last Saturday with a time of 17:36 on the home course.
Reporter Arjun Katechia ’19 sat down with Joe to get the run-down on his cross-country life, goals, and more:
AK: What do you like about cross country?
JB: I like being able to set goals and work hard so that I can achieve them. I like being with the team and working towards a common goal. It builds camaraderie in the team.
AK: Why and how did you start running cross country?
JB: So I used to play soccer, when I was in middle school, and the best part of my game was that I had speed and endurance. Once I noticed I wasn’t as good at soccer, I joined the Wilton Running Club, founded and coached by Mary Zengo, whom I trained with this past summer.
AK: What are you goals for this season?
JB: Originally, I wanted to run the course in under 18 minutes. But now that I have had a strong training base this summer, I hope to break 17:30 on the Choate course this year. I also strive to be an All Founders League Runner this year, which means that I will have to place in the top 15 at the Founders League Championships.
AK: What are your fears for this season?
JB: My biggest fear is getting injured early on in the season. So I take precautionary steps such as rolling out my muscles in the training room, icing, and stretching before and after workouts. I also fear that I won’t have the drive to push myself to the best of my abilities.
AK: What was your summer training like?
JB: I ended last year with big aspirations for myself to be an excellent runner, so I got into contact with Coach Zengo. I was running between 30 and 38 miles per week, alternating between long runs and shorter track workouts. The hard work really paid off because in the first race of the season I dropped my personal record down 27 seconds from my previous record, which I set last fall.
AK: Do you plan on running at the collegiate level?
JB: I haven’t put much thought in it, because only recently have I gotten fast enough to consider running in college, but I would be so honored to have that opportunity at some point.
AK: Do you have any tips for new runners?
JB: I always tell new guys on the team to take things slowly. It’s too common for new runners to run too much or too hard in their first week of training and end up getting injured.
AK: Apart from running, what else do you like to do?
JB: I recently became the Vice President of the Birding Club, and we have a couple of bird-watching trips planned. I love being outdoors, either hiking or swimming. This is probably why I love running so much.
AK: I’m sure you’ve heard many students around campus say that running is not a sport. What do you have to say to those folks?
JB: I doubt anyone who says that has tried cross country. It requires the same amount of athleticism, teamwork, and skill as any other sport. Bottom line, just remember that our sport is your sport’s punishment.
