Inspired by his older brother, junior Godwin Toku has found success competing in track and field, feeling drawn to jumping events specifically. 

“He was a big inspiration,” he said. “I remember going to a couple of his state meets. They’re really fun down in Eugene,” he said.

Having been on the track team since his freshman year, Toku’s goal this year is to make it to state for the triple jump event.

He attributes his drive to following in his brother’s footsteps — striving for the podium as his brother did. Toku pushes himself to become a better athlete and improve his performance in competition.

He always has a goal in mind to keep him motivated, a work ethic that helps him move forward after discouraging meets.

“There’s always a goal I’m trying to work towards if I fail,” Toku said.

Last year, as a sophomore, Toku attended the state meet as an alternate for the boys 4x100m race, saying that the experience was fun.

During the track off-season, Toku is inspired by the thought of the track community to stay in shape. 

When faced with pressure, Toku knows that listening to music before meets works for him as a strategy.

“I try to get into my own zone,” he said. “I just give some time to myself to concentrate.”

His main favorite genres of music to listen to are R&B, rap, and indie music.

Toku has always felt drawn to athletics, especially since elementary school, when he noticed that he was naturally tall and found sports easy. Originally, track started as a backup sport, secondary to basketball.

Now as a junior, track has become his focus, with jumping being his primary skill. 

“I’ve basically done everything besides shot put and the throwing events,” he said. 

Being multifaceted, Toku is a team player, competing in any event that the team needs, spanning from events like long jump and triple jump to sprinting in the 100m, 400m, 4x100m relay or 4x400m relay races. 

Back in fourth grade, he even dabbled in javelin, but he now acknowledges that he likes to jump.

For Toku, he finds his track team to be one big family. 

He describes the track atmosphere as “chill,” attributing it to the fact that “everybody usually gets along.”

In his academic life, Toku enjoys French class with French teacher, Ms. Amanda Barker. He enjoys that she is a “calm person,” just as he says the class itself is.

Although balancing schoolwork and sports is a difficult task, Toku has learned to separate his sports from the rest of his life. Even when practices run late, he makes sure to stay on top of the work because he finds it stressful to have late assignments.

During his free time, he likes playing video games, hanging out with friends, going outside on walks, and cooking — specifically steaks, chicken, and fried rice. 

Towards the end of this year, Toku has the goal of joining a club track team outside of school.

In the past, he’s suffered injuries almost every year — his most recent injury was last year when he sprained his hamstring, causing him to miss half the season, which made getting back into shape difficult for him. 

When it comes to injuries, Toku acknowledged that there isn’t much one can do besides wait, and strengthen it after it has healed.

“Since you’re a younger athlete, you’ve still got time to improve,” he said. “Never let disappointments get you down.”