JUST when people thought smart and sports no longer mix together, Lara Jane Que comes and proves it otherwise.

Lara, a US-based runner of Filipino descent, holds the top three spot in the University of Rhode Island with a 14.34 second record in the 100-meter hurdle.

"Matod Pa Sa Lola ni Noy Kulas." Join the story-writing contest on Cebuano folklore and win prizes.

She is also part of the 1st Division, the highest ranked, in the Track and Field Team composed of 50 women from their university.

The 20-year-old is currently taking up a double major, Psychology and the Arts, in the College of Arts and Sciences, one of the 15 colleges of their institution. And if juggling double majors is not enough, then this athlete tops it off like a cherry on top by being a Dean’s Lister who consistently aims for a high grade point average.

Que said that she wants to be an Art Therapist someday. Being a product of divorce, she found herself drawing a lot during those difficult times. She said that she wants to help children who are undergoing psychological problems and interpret their emotions which some may express through art.

Her inclination towards children is also reflected in her other dream. She shared, “I would love to be a coach someday. Help track and field. Create clinics,”

Unlike the misconception that successful career people do not have a happy childhood, she confessed to an active childhood.

“I was always playing outside, climbing trees, swimming, playing tennis,” Que, who has spent her May 17 to June 24 vacation with her family, recalled.

The child has grown up to be a lady as reflected by her sense of fashion.

“I do enjoy fashion.

I love jeans and simple white shirts. The simplicity of fashion is what I like about it,” she said. She likes very nice sandals and different cool boots that suit the weather outside the country.

She says that although she would want to buy those here, her ten-inch foot size makes it hard for her to do so.

She eyes shirts in the Philippines instead especially the Pi shirts currently sold at Island Souvenirs. She says that she’ll buy those as pasalubong for her friends in the States.

She shares that she shops with her best friends who love fashion too.

Shopping is also her bonding time with her mom. “I don’t care about the brand as long as I like it,” said Que who pigs out on barbecue, pancit, and lechon while she’s here.

When asked about her support system aside from her Mom, she shares that she gets inspiration from her boyfriend whom she has been dating for a year and a half now.

“He’s great. He’s very supportive. He uplifts me. He’s very inspiring,” she shared. Her track and field team in the university is like her family too.

She never feels discriminated against because most of them really embrace the diversity.

She shared that a lot of her friends are Americans and that they are her support when she was injured.

“I got frustrated and upset but my team mates were there to help me,” Que who lifts 385 lbs. during her workout sessions at the Metro Sports Club in Cebu said.

When asked about her reaction towards Marion Jones’ usage of steroids, she expressed her surprise, saying that she sees Jones as amazing and has looked up to her ever since she was a child. “It makes you wonder, ‘Are they good because of the substance within them or are they good because of how they work hard?”

She believes that people can do well by working hard. She shares that being an athlete makes you a different person. It makes you more willing and makes you work harder.

It made her learn to manage her time well. “I’ve been doing it all my life for 8 years.

I’ve learned to adjust.

It encourages me to do even better. I can do anything as long as I put my mind to it. Without sports, I wouldn’t be the kind of person I am today.”

The last time she was here was four years ago. Then, she still dabbled in poetry. Fast forward to now, Que shared that she is not into writing anymore.

Instead, she found herself reading a lot anything she can lay her hands on. “I believe I am a well-rounded person. I don’t focus on one thing.

I do as much as I can,” she said.

She also shares that the girl has grown up to be a young adult. “I am wiser, more mature, and a lot more appreciative.

Before, I didn’t appreciate my talents and what I can do but now I do. I try to be the best that I can be,” she said.

She shared that if women were only encouraged more to join track and field, they can multiply in number.

“Sports is very empowering. (There’s) Nothing a man can do that a woman can’t,” Que who wants to inspire women to run said.

She said that leaving for the U.S. again is bittersweet.

She enjoyed being with her family here in the Philippines whom she had not seen for years but she has work back in the States.

Before she goes back to her usual routine outside the country, she leaves a message to Filipino sports enthusiasts.

“For people who are in my situation, it’s not easy. There are days when you get frustrated and days when you want to give up.

Don’t give up. It will be worth it in the end,” Que says.

Que also said that even if she would want to represent the country in international competitions, track and field isn’t really very big in the Philippines.

Being unable to represent the nation does not mean her pride for the country is non-existent. “I’m proud of my heritage. I’m showing them (team mates) I’m a Filipino.

It’s a beautiful thing. This country has a beautiful history and with it are beautiful people,” says the five-foot-seven lady. In lieu of the June 12, Independence Day Celebration, Que says, “People should remember the good things in this country.”

Despite having been a US citizen since 13, Que says that she still feels really proud to be part of the race. “Once a Filipino, always a Filipino,” the bronze beauty said.