The best distance runners do not fear pain. They push their limits and are sometimes surprised with how much they can endure. And when they break through their own expectations and perceptions, they often achieve success that at one time may have seemed unattainable. Keith Capecci is one such distance runner. A star at Council Rock North who graduated in 2005 with a Foot Locker finalist berth on his resume, Capecci knows how to endure and how to break through the pain. With stress fractures and sprained ankles on his injury resume, he had experienced much of the physical pain runners face. But during his brief debut in college at the University of Arizona last fall, Capecci confronted a new kind of pain - depression. He came home, and with the help of family, friends, and high school coach Dave Marrington, he is ready to run again, and re-entering his freshman year in college - this time as a walk-on at Villanova.
With the help of Marrington, and Bucks County Courier Times sportswriter Jason Haslam, Capecci has shared his story in hopes of helping others who may be going through the same thing. "I thought it was just moods and it would go away. It wasn't, and it didn't" Capeccia says. Since the article appeared in early July, Capecci says the response has been positive. "People on my street see me running and say they saw the article and to 'keep working hard'." The news on the training front is equally as positive. "I'm running injury free, so I'm excited to start this fall."
He's Ready to Run...
For the second straight year, Keith Capecci is entering his freshman year of college. True, his graduation from Council Rock-North High School came in 2005. He left as one of the top distance runners in school history, with an athletic scholarship to the University of Arizona. He set off immediately to begin his college running career. But after only a few weeks in Tucson, Ariz., four years of pent-up sorrow and frustration came to a head. Capecci was steeped in depression.
Click here for the story by Jason Haslam in the Bucks County Courier Times
Teen Depression
A GUIDE FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS
Teenage depression isn't just bad moods and occasional melancholy. Depression is a serious problem that impacts every aspect of a teen’s life. Left untreated, teen depression can lead to problems at home and school, drug abuse, self-loathing—even irreversible tragedy such as homicidal violence or suicide. As a concerned parent or teacher, there are many things you can do to help a depressed teen.
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