University of Richmond Athletics
20 Questions with Billy Fayette
11/09/2011 | Cross Country
Editor's Note: Throughout the 2011 season we will sit down with a Spider cross country runner each week and have them answer a set of 20 questions about their lives both on and off the course. This week we interview freshman Billy Fayette, who was most recently the Spiders' third finisher in 38th place overall at the A-10 Championship on Oct. 29 in Charlotte.
RichmondSpiders.com (RS): What led to your decision to choose Richmond?
Billy Fayette (BF): I chose Richmond because it was the best fit for me. Its distinguished academics, the great team atmosphere and the coaches made it next to impossible not to choose Richmond. I am glad to be here and know I have made the right choice.
RS: What have been the easiest and most difficult transitions you have had to make since coming to Richmond?
BF: A difficult transition has been the strength work we do because I have a weaker upper body. An easy transition has been getting along with my teammates.
RS: With nearly a full season under your belt now, what would you say it means to be a Spider?
BF: To be a Spider means to represent the University with integrity and to the highest standard of excellence both academically and athletically.
RS: Can you talk a little bit about your experience running as part of Team USA at September's Junior World Mountain Running Championship in Albania?
BF: Being a part of Team USA was one of the biggest honors of my life. It was such a privilege to run with the USA jersey on my chest. I will never forget the experience, the people and the race itself. Being able to go with Ryan and Clare made it that much more special.
RS: What kinds of goals did you set for yourself at the beginning of the season, and how do you feel about your progress toward achieving them?
BF: My goals at the beginning of the season were to help the team in the best possible fashion and adjust to the 8k/10k races. I feel like I have gotten better as the season has progressed.
RS: Which teammate have you learned the most from in your first season as a Spider? Why?
BF: Well, I have learned a lot from all of my teammates, but Ryan Lee has taught me the most. The first month I was on campus, Ryan and I did every workout together since we were training for the World Mountain Championships. He has helped me understand what it takes to be a dedicated runner at the collegiate level. He has given me a lot of advice, and I have been able to learn from the diligent example he has set forth for the team.
RS: What is the greatest piece of advice you have received in the sport?
BF: The 4 h's. As a runner you always need to be happy, healthy, humble and hungry. I try to live by this mantra on a daily basis.
RS: If your teammates gave you a superlative, what would it be?
BF: "Most Likely to Be Drafted in the NBA"... For obvious reasons.
RS: Who are your greatest role models both in and out of the sport?
BF: In the sport, I would say my head coaches. My high school coach, Jim Westphal, had a tremendous impact on me and helped me become a better person. Now, Coach Taylor is a role model. I am already learning so much from him, and he inspires me to become a better runner everyday. Outside the sport, my parents are my biggest role models because they have been able to help me in ways I haven't even realized so far in my life journey. Much of what I have learned and the person I have become is because of them.
RS: What is your major and dream job?
BF: I'd like to major in Business and Leadership. However, I'd like to live the dream of being a professional runner.
RS: What has been your favorite class in your first semester on campus? Why?
BF: My favorite class has been Leadership and the Social Sciences because Dr. Goethals makes the class interesting. I enjoy the material we discuss.
RS: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what one person and thing would you like to have with you?
BF: I would bring my roommate Matthew Groff. He would be able to lead me to survival because, as my teammates know, I would have a lot of difficulty living in the woods. I would bring a yearlong supply of Builder Bars.
RS: If you could go on a run with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? Why?
BF: Outside of my coaches during their primes, I would say Chris Solinsky. He is one of my favorite runners and is one of the few tall runners on the professional scene.
RS: If you weren't a runner, which sport would you play?
BF: If I wasn't on the XC and track teams at UR, I'd be a tennis player.
RS: If you could have the perfect meal prepared for you, what would it be?
BF: It would be my mom's marinated flank steak with my aunt's "2nd's please potatoes". It has always been my favorite meal.
RS: If every day was a holiday, what would that holiday be?
BF: Fourth of July!
RS: If you were granted any superpower, what would it be and why?
BF: Mind reading so I could understand what is going on with other people.
RS: If you could trade places with anyone for a day, who would it be and why?
BF: I would trade places with any one of my teammates so I could see what it was like dealing with me on a daily basis.
RS: Given that you're a native Chicagoan, we have to ask... Cubs or Sox?
BF: White Sox. However, I have no hatred towards the Cubs.
RS: What's something interesting about you that most people don't know?
BF: I fell down the stairs when I was in 7th grade and am lucky I can walk, let alone run. I broke both my wrists and cut my knee open to the patella.
Players Mentioned
