Getting To Know Nathan Cumberbatch

Championships are nothing new to USC newcomer Nathan Cumberbatch. In this installment of "Getting To Know," Cumberbatch dives into his goals and interests on and off the track and we learn more about the experiences that have forged who he is today. The Wisconsin native won the state 2A 800m title three times, the 2023 Nike Indoor 800m title and also the 2023 Brooks PR 800m title with a personal-best time of 1:48.20.

Q: Some of your hobbies include hiking, camping and flying. Have you always been an outdoorsy person?

N.C.: No, actually last year I took a class called environmental literature. We would read environmental essays and go on camping trips where we'd surf, rock climb or backpack. The class just really made me enjoy being outside.

Q: Where does the flying come in?

N.C.: My dad used to take us to air shows all the time and it grew into a passion. I got my pilot's license a couple years ago and now I'm majoring in aerospace engineering.

Q: What's the process behind getting your pilot's license?

N.C.: You go through ground school online which is basically like drivers ed for pilots, but a little harder. After that, you start to do actual flying with an instructor which I loved. We flew around Milwaukee and did a couple of longer flights and after flying for 40 hours you did it.

Q: Now that you're majoring in aerospace engineering, are there certain cities that are hubs for this industry that catch your eye?

N.C.: It's great that I'm here because California is really good for startups, which is where a lot of people in the industry are going right now. There's so many fun little projects and people want to be a part of that instead of settling into a big company.

Q: With as many successes in high school that you had, is there a moment that sticks out to you from your experiences?

N.C.: With my high school team, I'd say winning the state championships both boys and girls. I'd also say winning Silver in the 4x400m in the Bahamas at the Caribbean Youth Games. Countries like Trinidad, Jamaica, Virgin Islands, Grenada, Bahamas, etc. compete and it's just so fun. Last year was crazy. It was super loud for the 4x400m and I couldn't hear anything. I just remember being so zoned in and just running…I think I blacked out.

Q: You also ran at the 2023 CARIFTA Games. How did you get into running in the Caribbean circuit?

N.C.: My dad was born in Trinidad, so I have dual citizenship and we've spent some time there. Running for Trinidad is the best experience. It's such a welcoming group of people and you have a reason to run. I feel like it's tough in high school, but when you have a flag on your chest and have about a million people watching you and cheering you on, people you've never met before, it's pretty awesome. I'm going to try and make the Olympic team this year for them, so I've been training with that as my end goal.

Q: What was it like growing up as a track athlete in Milwaukee given that the sport is hockey?

N.C.: You had to leave the state to get a lot of competition. My dad ran track at the University of Wisconsin and he trained me. It's definitely a little different to train there than it is here in L.A. I went back for Thanksgiving and we had to train on the track outside the ice rink.

Q: Did you jump into track because your dad ran too?

N.C.: Well, my dad was coaching some kids in Milwaukee and I was the coach's kid, so I used to just hang out around practices and beg him to let me run. But he wouldn't let me at the time because I was 6 years old. Eventually, when I was 8, he let me run. I'm really grateful for the fact that he was my coach that early because he taught me how to run the correct way. I ended up winning my first national championship when I was 10 and just kept going.

Q: Now that you've transitioned into being a collegiate athlete have you noticed that you've had to change any habits of yours?

N.C.: Yeah, I realized I need to be a lot more on top of my time. Being an engineering major and an athlete, there's not a lot of time in between. There's time you can find to do other stuff, but you just need to manage your time really well. I also think the workouts are harder, so I need to put a little extra effort in.

Q: Have your teammates helped you with that?

N.C.: For sure. If I had to do this stuff by myself I don't know if I'd be able to do it. But with such a good group of people, they make it easier because they look forward to going to workouts and practice. I really love our group. It's such a diverse group of people; different majors, personalities, backgrounds. We all come together in that shared space and I feel like we really click together during workouts, so it's been super helpful and fun.

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Getting To Know Nathan Cumberbatch

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