By Jessica Ma ‘28, Features Desk Editor
On April 25, at the University of Pennsylvania’s Franklin Field, Shyna Patel ‘29 set a new Germantown Academy record: racewalking the 5K in 26 minutes and 14 seconds, breaking down to less than eight and a half minutes per mile.
For many, this accomplishment is difficult to do while running, much less while following the strict rules of racewalking. Athletes must maintain contact with the ground at all times, and the advancing leg must be straight until it passes under the body. As a result, competitors must be careful to avoid making even the smallest of mistakes.
“It’s kind of a niche sport. Not a lot of people do it,” Patel said. “But it’s also different from other track events because you have people actively watching you, and it’s quite easy to get disqualified.”
Today, racewalking is a significant part of Patel’s life. However, she was originally introduced to racewalking on a rather coincidental note.
“My dad just randomly signed me up for [a race] when I was in second grade, and I ended up getting first,” Patel said. “And I really liked it, so I continued pursuing it.”
Patel is now a national Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) champion for both indoor and outdoor track, and placed 3rd in the 2026 Penn Relays 5K racewalk. Although she is only a freshman, she is ranked first in Pennsylvania and second nationally in this event.
Yet, being a champion is not easy. To be this successful, Patel is a three-season athlete, running cross country in the fall, indoor track in the winter and outdoor track in the spring. In addition to life as a student, her training schedule is often busy.
“[I spend] around an hour and a half six days a week training,” Patel said. “I do a lot of hard workouts–usually two hard workouts a week. Less of my workouts are easy (endurance building), and I have one long-distance day.”
Balancing student life with extracurriculars, especially for all three athletic seasons, requires time management and dedication. Track meets such as the spring Penn Relays can last up to several days and require significant travel. Race day itself also often runs for long, consecutive hours.
“I just try to do my work in my [extra] time and get it out of the way, because I also value my free time and having time to myself,” Patel said.
In the near future, Patel plans to compete in the Nike Internationals meet over the summer, where she is going to race the 10K racewalk. However, beyond the upcoming season, Patel also hopes to pursue racewalking as a significant part of her life.
“I’m planning to train independently in college, since it’s not really an event in the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association),” Patel said. “It’s only in NAIA schools (a smaller, separate organization), and I’m not sure if I want to go to an NAIA school, so I think I want to train independently and maybe hopefully qualify for the Olympics.”
Overall, through year-round training and hard work, despite being a freshman, Patel has risen to the top of the racewalking ranks.