By Murray Gleffe
Correspondent
Name: Mia Dunning
Parents: Marguerite and Eric Dunning
Activity: Girls’ track and field
Twitter: @dunning_mia
Mia Dunning is a recent graduate of Ashwaubenon High School who excelled at track and field.
During her senior season, Dunning finished 11th in the discus and 13th in the shot at the WIAA Division 1 state meet in La Crosse.
Talk about how difficult field events are.
“In my opinion, field events are quite difficult. Your biggest competitor is yourself. If you think in your mind or subconscious you can only throw so far, then you will not hit a farther mark.”
What teammate would you like to be with if you were trapped on an island?
“I would like to have Mabel Kirst on the island with me because she is an amazing person and athlete. She has the best work ethic and respect for everything. We challenged each other every day to be better, on and off the throwing circle.”
Talk about how special your family is and what they have meant to your success?
“My family is extremely special to me. For one, my sister Erin helped me out with how I should prepare mentally and physically for meets since I was out of the circle for a while. She is my best friend. My parents are my biggest supporters of all. They truly showed me that if I am happy, I am okay. Life is an experience, so make it a memorable one.”
What was your most embarrassing sports moment?
“I would say forgetting my lifting shoes. I was in full workout apparel and then there were my Crocs.”
Which did you prefer: 40 or 80 degrees for a track and field meet?
“I am more of a warm-climate-kind-of girl, especially since the uniform for a meet is a shirt and spandex.”
What’s the greatest piece of advice somebody has told you?
“A coach once told me that you pass out before you die. That’s how my work ethic has grown. If it doesn’t challenge me, I push harder.”
What was the hardest part about performing in a track and field meet?
“I would say if the weather is actually nice out, the hardest part would be waiting and keeping your nerves at bay.”
If you could be somebody for a day, who would it be?
“I would be Elon Musk for a day because he is a very intelligent man, and I would love to see how he creates his ideas and problem solves.”
What is your favorite app?
“Snapchat.”
Do you have a nickname?
“Monkey Mia.”
What is one thing that other teammates or coaches didn’t know about you?
“I rescued a sloth that now resides at the St. Louis Zoo.”
What are your college aspirations?
“I would like to obtain a Ph. D. in molecular biology and have the ability to work with either stem cells or superbugs.”
Greece or Italy for vacation?
“I would go to Greece because of their architectural, historical and geographical standpoint. I am drawn to Greece’s history more.”
What are your hobbies?
“I like to sew, workout, watch movies, play and train my dog, read, go on adventures, star gaze, work with essential oils and window shop.”
What three words describe you?
“Bubbly, spontaneous, charismatic.”
What is a song you listened to before a track and field meet started?
“Remember the Name by Fort Minor.”
If you could attend the Olympics for track and field, which event would you concentrate on watching?
“I would attend pole vaulting or the sprinting events because both take a specific body type and form to be the best.”
If you could order one item online, what would it be?
“Dog toys for my Mowgli.”
Running in the mountains in Hawaii or alongside Highway 1 on the Pacific coast of California?
“I would rather run in the mountains in Hawaii because I could not even picture the beauty on that run.”
Favorites
Subject: Molecular biology
Movie: We are Marshall
Candy: As a type 1 diabetic, it’s surprising that I am a fan of a lot of different types of candy.