Dylan Bates 2007 - 2011

When I first was going to high school, I chose to apply for BEAP. I loved the idea of an academically challenging program made specifically to help exceptional athletes reach the next level in their training and competition. Since making that decision I’ve grown as a person, in large part due to BEAP and the people behind the program who helped shape who I am today.

The summer before grade 12, at the age of 16, I competed in my first Olympic Distance triathlon – the Provincial Championships – and won, qualifying for the World Championships a year later in Beijing, China, where I place 6th in the Under-20 age group. BEAP is what inspired me to always work harder; to constantly improve. Since then, I’ve won the provincial championships again, qualified for the World Championships twice more, and graduated summa cum laude from Coker College, which I attended on an academic and athletic scholarship. While studying there, I earned a number of awards, balancing academic with athletics the way I learned in BEAP. This includes: earning a spot on the USTFCCCA Division II All-Academic Cross-Country Team, the Capital One Academic All-District Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country Team, the Capital One Academic All-American Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country Team, and being chosen as the SAC Men’s Track & Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year. In addition, I won a handful of NCAA races, in both Cross Country and Track & Field.

It is because of BEAP that I am the student-athlete I am today. I have taken what I learned and applied it to my studies and training. Last year, using the discipline and time management skills I learned in BEAP, I graduated with my Master’s degree from the University of South Carolina, and am currently pursuing my PhD in Applied Mathematics from North Carolina State University. More recently, using what I learned about nutrition and perseverance, I came 7th overall out of nearly 6000 competitors in the Krispy Kreme Challenge. While I haven't competed in any serious races since undergrad, I still run, lift, and swim regularly, thanks to BEAP. Without having gone through BEAP, I wouldn’t be the same person I am today. I have Glenn Duncan, Catherine MacInnes, and Rob Pacas to thank for that. They’re the ones who inspired me to be the best I can be.