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Faith, Perseverance & Adaptation By James Allan W hen Nick Holmes was selecting a college, he factored in campus, athletics and academics, but ultimately, it came down to people. When Holmes visited the University of Iowa, he realized that director of track and field Larry Wieczorek was the type of person he wanted to learn and compete under; he was the type of man Holmes wanted to mold himself aſter. "The way he treated my family, and the way he treated me, I knew this was the place for me, " said Holmes, now a fiſth-year senior for the Hawkeyes, who spoke to the UI athletics department at its October all-staff meeting in the Feller Club Room inside Carver- Hawkeye Arena. Holmes talked about his admiration of his older brother Jacob, a 29-year-old with cerebral palsy, who has been bound to a wheelchair his entire life. He talked about Jacob winning a gold medal in the Special Olympics, a feat that didn't go unnoticed by Wieczorek, which in turn wasn't unnoticed by Holmes. "He has won gold, and I have yet to win a gold medal here," said ' That's the type of people that are here at Iowa, and that's why I chose Iowa." Holmes talked about the highs and lows of his collegiate journey. From winning his first cross country meet as a freshman, to struggles of dealing with injuries, and seeing his grades suffer as a result. Through everything, the Hawkeye coaches and support staff are what kept Holmes in Iowa City. "I went through times of do I want to be stay here?" he said. "Do I want to be here? When you come to college, you don't have your parents, friends or support group, so who is going to be there for you? For me, it has been the coaches and academic advisors." Holmes of his brother. "When he won, coach Wieczorek sent him a letter, called, and said 'great job. Dealing with injuries that have sidelined him for three of his four years, Holmes cites perseverance. Working through the injuries and a dip in his academics, Holmes cites faith and commitment to keep following it through. "I have persevered, I have my faith," he said. "You can talk about hope and commitment, but they go along with faith and perseverance. Without those two, you don't have anything else. I have had the faith to keep going. " Last season was a breakthrough for Holmes. He made the Big Ten finals in the mile during the indoor season, and he turned around his academic struggles. He couldn't have done it alone. "I don't think any other coach in the nation would keep someone around that is hurt for three or four years," said Holmes. "He (Wieczorek) believes in me and tells me I wouldn't trade you for any other runner in the country. That's how the University of Iowa feels, and it is when you're here as an athlete. " Aſter graduation, Holmes wants to give back. He wants to use his experiences in the field of sports psychology or get into coaching at the Division I level. "That's what is different about this university," said Holmes, who will graduate with a degree in recreation management with minors in psychology and human relations. "You can be at an all- time low and everybody will build you back up. "I have been very blessed here. I wouldn't trade this experience at this university for any other experience at any other university in the country. We are truly blessed here, and are treated with the most amazing kindness you could ever ask for. " When Holmes recalls his college experience, he thinks of faith, perseverance, and adaptation. 49