ETSU’s Miguel Parrilla is training for the Olympics while also pursuing a degree in parks and recreation management.
Parrilla is originally from Knoxville, and he came to ETSU to study computer science. He quickly decided to change his major, first being undecided and then giving parks and recreation a try.
“I was undecided for a little bit and then I switched into parks and recreation management about two and a half years. I’ve been really enjoying that and I’m also part of the track team, so I’ve been doing track and cross country each year,” Parrilla said.
Parrilla has been practicing and competing in track and field throughout college and hopes to qualify for the Olympics. He has had the opportunity to work one on one with his coach, who also coached his dad at the University of Tennessee in the 1990s.
Parrilla has known his coach basically his whole life and describes working with him as a really neat opportunity.
He has recently been working towards qualifying for the Olympics. He would be able to qualify for Puerto Rico, and he hopes to run the 800 in the 2024 Olympics. Working up to this goal would mean running for the team over the summer. He said practicing is very important to reach this goal.
“You really have to train year-round so from probably May or June until November or December. I’m doing a lot of base training so that’s hitting a lot of 40 to 50-mile weeks on top of normal workouts,” Parrilla said.
Along with training he is alo continuing his studies in parks and recreation to hopefully work as a manager in state parks.
“I want to go into the state park system. In the next free years, I want to work up to be a manager. I am also going to add a history major and a minor in Appalachian studies,” Parrilla said.
He is enjoying his time at ETSU and is looking forward to a career in the state park system.
