One Foot in Front of The Other: Stephen’s Impact on Northview’s XC team

By Bryce Kent

staff writer

Stephen doing one of the many things he enjoyed,
running cross country. Photo Courtesy
of 2014 cross country picture database

The mostly inaudible voice of the starter through a bullhorn, the crack of the starting pistol signifying the start of the race, and the slap of the thin-soled running spikes from hundreds of runners throughout the 5-kilometer course were all music to Stephen’s ears. He loved practices too. No matter if they were at 8:00 AM on a wonderful July morning or after school on a rainy 40 degree October afternoon, Stephen was there. He was always running, or thinking of running, or talking about running. That was because Stephen was a runner.

Cross country, in most cases, was at the front of Stephen’s mind all throughout the year. The way he carried himself while participating in the sport would make even the most seasoned runner think he was the absolute best on the team. And he was. Maybe not the best by being the fastest, or the tallest, or the strongest, but according to team coach, Jim Haveman in an address to the cross country team,“ He definitely had the absolute best heart.”

The impact that Stephen had on our Wildcat cross country team by no means stops at the opinion of coaches. His teammates thought just as highly of him. One of the most memorable qualities was his laugh. You could hear it anywhere in the room, and it was so contagious. With his laugh, he was able to put a smile on anyone's face. Some of his other most memorable qualities are best stated in the words of fellow teammate and junior, Eli Fournier, “[He had] the ability to encourage anyone to strive to be better,” and “to always be a great friend on and off the xc course.”

Stephen with some members of the Northview
Cross Country Team

No matter where, when, or who, Stephen was there to help and encourage those around him in times of failure, and also to celebrate and cheer in times of success. Stephen embodied the very spirit of what a Wildcat cross country runner is. “If the team was full of Stephens, we would truly be unstoppable,” Haveman said to the team. But this message goes beyond the cross country team. Imagine if this whole school, or state, or country, or world was full of Stephens and what that world would look like. No one can say for sure the effect it would have, but what I suspect is that it would be pretty great. So, one foot in front of the other, we remember the legacy of Stephen Rathbun.

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