At this past Rose Cafe, Coach Tanasoiu described the most inspirational athlete he’s ever coached. This athlete, Bernardo, a tennis player from Ecuador, was not only a talented athlete, but overcome social issues and mental obstacles during his time at Cornell. As an athlete, I can relate to his commitment to his team, by how much time is dedicated every week to practicing and improvement. It it a lifestyle that becomes habitual and helps maintain structure. But Bernardo was well more than the average college athlete, and lead a transformation of his team. Instead of folding to the mold of his outgoing, party-hopping upperclassmen, Bernardo pushed away the social pressure to drink, and instead focused his time to improving his skills on the tennis court and with his engineering homework. His example then led incoming students, which created a more competitive atmosphere and ultimately lead their team to their first ever All-Ivy title. Bernardo’s outstanding athletic ability was obviously impressive, but his drive to push past social pressure and instead improve himself and his teammates is what is truly inspiring.