“Sports have truly changed my life,” Ian Land said. He feels more passion for sports because he no longer has anything to prove. He’s outgrown his worry of being the outsider because that’s what happens when you change schools often. Land is new to Glacier Peak and this is number 12 in a long list of schools attended.

“Try not to overthink anything in life because it’s not worth it,” Land said. His parents split up when he was young and he bounced around in foster care for three years and then between parents for a while. He was taken in by a couple that were longtime friends of the family after his father kicked him out. His new “parents” became his support.   “They are great,” he said.

“I’ve moved around a lot since I was very little,” Land said. He had a difficult time  making friends because he was never in one place very long.  “I was picked on for being weird and short.” Considering he stands at 5 feet tall, he doesn’t let height get in his way of his  accomplishments. According to Land he outgrew “being a little nerdy kid” who watched Anime and collected comic books when he began playing sports. He noticed people started to respect him more. He was teased less and began to make friends on the teams he played on.

Lands love for sports grew. He’s been successful in soccer, football, basketball, baseball, and wrestling.

In his free time Land likes to listen to all kinds of music “except country,” he said. He  reads books like Cirque du Freak, and watches Disney movies and comedies. “The normal stuff people with no lives do,” he said.

He keeps this in mind as he continues his love for sports, “Your body can only carry you as far as your mind and heart can reach, you just need the will to push beyond the barriers that await you.”