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Track stars and friends, Steven George and Justin Rocca celebrate success.
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Steven George takes a leap Steven George is an athletic superstar. Originally from Chicago, he lived in California from 4th through 9th grade, and became close friends with Justin Rocca, who practised Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation Technique. When Steven’s family moved back to Chicago, the violence in the schools became too much to bear, so he joined his childhood friend, Justin, in Fairfield, Iowa, USA. Together they attended Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment and Stephen learned meditation. Here he found a whole new world of peace and friendliness. Steven began to find his niche—in track. He had tried running and jumping in his first year at high school, but was not at home on the track, preferring football and basketball. In the 10th and 11th grade, he tried track again and broke the school record with a long jump of 23’ 7”. This ranked him in the top sophomores in the United States. He was inundated with letters from colleges across the nation, inviting him to join them, including Stanford and UCLA. But again, Stephen did not feel at home on the track, as the team dynamics were new to him. He felt he would need stronger coaching to guide him. When he moved in with Justin’s family in Fairfield, Steven made the decision to try track again. Justin’s father, Jim, was a 'super coach' to the boys, to use Steven’s words. Jim worked the boys hard. Steven said, 'Mr Rocca was the backbone of the track team. He was very dedicated to keeping our lives balanced: meals, work, rest, study time. He took excellent care of all our needs and kept us healthy.' Did Transcendental Meditation make a noticeable difference in Stevens’s life? 'Deep rest twice a day brought clear thinking. The atmosphere at this new school was peaceful, no stress. It truly was a big help.' Amazingly, he found track was 'easy, effortless'. He felt that he matured tremendously in this nourishing environment, and developed a lot as a person. With confidence extremely high, Steven worked hard and soon found he had the ability to focus sharply. He had left his family, his friends, his familiar environment, but he applied himself with every ounce of strength. He established many new, lasting friendships and the whole process made him feel completely prepared for his college years. Steven's athletic performance also improved. He accomplished his longest jump ever and became an all-state champion. More college offers arrived, as well as an invitation to compete with America’s top people in the Nike Outdoor Nations meet. However, Steven’s priority is to be close to family and friends. As Maharishi University of Management currently has no track programme, he has decided to attend the University of Northern Iowa, not far from his parents' home. When asked if he has a message to the youth of the world about Maharishi’s Transcendental Meditation Technique and Consciousness-Based Education, Stephen replied, 'If you want to see who you really are, to find who you are as a person, this is the way.' © Copyright 2006, Global Good News
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