Meet Northern Valley track & field competitor Matthew Malora
OLD TAPPAN, N.J. — The road to success has always been challenging for Matthew Malora. Which is why he has come to believe in himself with each new achievement.
The Northern Valley Old Tappan High School senior will complete his final season of track and field this spring. Besides playing a leadership role with a relatively young group of runners, Matt鈥檚 goals as an improving middle-distance聽miler/half-miler will also be a priority.聽It is a far cry from more youthful recollections when he was, as he puts it,聽鈥渁 blind kid who couldn鈥檛 walk.鈥�
Those stunning words were included in a college essay Matt wrote that聽described, in often painful detail, his evolution from someone who was聽born with strabismus, a disorder that limited his vision because 鈥渕y eyes聽turned out to the side.鈥�
“I also had abnormally low muscle tone and did not have the ability to crawl, sit up or stand. Doctors said the chances of incremental improvement were miniscule. Luckily, I had very stubborn and determined parents who were not going to accept this. They created their own treatment and motivation plans, such as elevating everything in our house so I鈥檇 have to stand up and stretch to get what I wanted.”
And Matt worked hard to achieve his goals. After finding a passion and聽comfort zone with running in the seventh grade at the Harrington Park聽School, he shifted his focus from lacrosse and soccer. 鈥淚 realized that I was聽faster than kids my age,鈥� he now recalls, even teaming with his father to聽finish among the fastest families in town at the Harrington Park 5K one year聽and then with his father and sister the following year.
That commitment continued at NVOT, including a successful cross-country season as a junior when he ran a 5-kilometer personal best of 17 minutes 7 seconds and a senior season when 20 of his teammates showed up on their own to cheer for him at the Bergen County Meet of Champions.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 testament to his character,鈥� Thomas Walsh, his cross-country coach at NVOT, observed of Matt鈥檚 team leadership role, which also produced an improved career-best 5K of 17:01.
This spring, outdoors, Matt鈥檚 focus will be on the 800, mile and the 4×400聽relay. He already has committed to Stonehill College, a Division 1 liberal聽arts school in Easton, Massachusetts on an academic and athletic聽scholarship.
“I remember reading how rivers follow the path of least resistance. Throughout my life, that concept has never occurred to me. I never enrolled in a class, took on a project or tried a sport because I thought it would be easy or that I would be good at it. I was willing to take on the challenge because I was interested, wanted to learn more, or knew it was something that was necessary in order for me to achieve my goals.”
Matt鈥檚 parents, Glenn and Bonnie Malora, are proud of their son鈥檚聽accomplishments, in the aftermath of countless major eye surgeries in his聽youth (as early as six months old) that might have discouraged a less聽committed youngster or parents.
鈥淗e鈥檚 definitely a well-driven kid,鈥� his mother says.聽鈥淚t鈥檚 part of our life,鈥� adds his father, who has taken thousands of photos of聽Matt in action. 鈥淚f you鈥檇 have told me he鈥檇 be running track, I would say,聽鈥榶ou were joking.鈥欌��
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 cheat the system,鈥� Matt stresses. 鈥淲hoever puts the most work聽in is going to get the result. If I work the hardest in the off-season, I鈥檒l get聽the results.鈥�
Matt鈥檚 essay, which he submitted as part of his college applications,聽underscores strong beliefs. It left an especially profound impression on his聽NVOT English instructor, Brook Zelcer, who cites the words of 19th century聽English poet John Keats, 鈥渆veryone has troubles. It鈥檚 how we deal with聽them that counts.鈥�
鈥淭he thing that most impressed me about Matt鈥檚 story,鈥� Zelcer wrote in an聽email to me, 鈥渋s that it is a quiet, personal story, a story of determined聽persistence. I can鈥檛 imagine the patience and care, the daily effort and聽attention to detail that went into ensuring that Matt would physically聽develop to his full potential. His story is incredibly powerful and a real聽testament to the power of determination and, ultimately of love.鈥�
Every day at practice and meets, I push myself to my absolute limit because I know that little boy who was told he couldn鈥檛 walk would be proud to see me run instead. I do not need easy. I just need possible (and I am not being dramatic).
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