by Marielle Winuk
I’ve woken up in a bed that’s not mine on Valentine’s Day for the past two years. Being on the track and field team, most Valentine’s Days I have woken up in a hotel bed in Michigan and spent the day competing. It’s not uncommon for athletes to compete or travel during holidays.
Some athletes are lucky enough to travel with their partner, such as Daniel Shaver on the men’s cross country team.
Shaver travels with his girlfriend and enjoys the extra time they get to spend together. He and his girlfriend, Charlotte Leonard, are both Humboldt natives who attended Eureka High School and signed to Humboldt together.
“We get to spend a lot of time together when we travel together,” Shaver said. “We like to watch shows with each other on the bus and I’ll give her a special kiss or something to help her feel good before her race.”
Not all student athletes observe Valentine’s Day or other American holidays. Basketball center Shakir Odunewu doesn’t celebrate some traditional American holidays because he didn’t grow up doing so. Odunewu is from Egypt and only celebrates Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr and Thanksgiving. Competing on holidays doesn’t affect his performance, and if anything, playing during Ramadan improves it.
“When I fast, I feel like I have more energy when I play,” Odunewu said.
For many athletes, celebrations are often postponed or adapted around travel schedules, practices and games. Feb. 14 might be spent in a hotel room with teammates instead of at a candlelit dinner, but the meaning of Valentine’s Day is not lost.
Track and field thrower Isabella Claussen will be competing in Michigan on Valentine’s day and is in a long-distance relationship. If she didn’t travel, her boyfriend considered driving up from Sacramento to Humboldt, but instead they are going to just text and call.
“I don’t feel like I miss out on anything just because like we’re both really busy people and we both play sports so he’s very understanding of what’s going on this weekend,” Claussen said. “I think our plans are probably just gonna be a call for a little bit or just text, that sort of stuff, but we didn’t really have a whole bunch of stuff planned just because long distance is just kind of that way. We only get to see each other every couple months because of sports scheduling for both of us so smaller ‘holidays’ like these just don’t really work out for the both of us.”
There are some upsides to celebrating on your own terms. You don’t have to fight other couples for a romantic dinner reservation. You can buy Valentine’s themed decorations and candy at a discounted price. Lastly, you get to celebrate the love of your sport on one day, and the love of your friends, family or partner on another day.
This Saturday, multiple Humboldt teams will be spending their Valentine’s Day representing the green and gold. Therefore, if you weren’t able to find a romantic dinner reservation or activity, remember — nothing is more romantic than showing up to the Lumberjack arena to watch the men’s and women’s basketball games against San Francisco State this Valentine’s Day. The women’s team plays at 1:00 p.m. and the men’s game will be at 3:00 p.m.. The track and field team will compete at the Grand Valley Two Day Meet in Allendale, Mich.. The softball team will be spending Valentine’s day in Honolulu, Hawaii at Chaminade playing at 4:30 p.m..