About Me
My name is Nate Atkinson and there are a few things that have changed my life in large gratifying ways. First and foremost is my running career at both the high school and collegiate level. Next and just as important will be my love for community service and giving back to the community and to others. In my short years of life I have been exposed to many different situations and environments and many have helped me grow and open my eyes. My family of course plays a large role in my life. I have a twin brother, Nic who has been with me through many stages of life as we both went to high school, college, and even grad school together. My parents raised us in Minnesota and although we left around the year 2000, we still have a small summer place in the rural parts. Molly Lake has become to me a Mecca of sorts, a place of quiet and nature - no matter how much I love my computers and my instant response technology, I still enjoy a week away from it all in the silence of Nature.
Track & Field and Cross Country
Running Career
Running has played a large role in my life for a many number of years. Park Center High School was the first time I had run with a team. I still remember our first practice in the summer - it was a four-mile run that left me feeling faster than I ever imagined and like a part of a team. No matter how nice that first run felt I was almost the worst one on the team when the season started. However with my twin and I constantly encouraging each other and a lot of hard work, we improved and made varsity by the end of our sophomore year.
After a move to Rochester High School in Illinois I continued to run cross-country and also started running track. With the new state and new school came much better weather and a smaller team. The team's togetherness and close knit friendships fed a love of community and a sense of belonging that I found to be contagious. I made it to the Illinois State Track & Field meet all 3 of my years in Illinois - for the 4X8 relay, mile, and 800. The State Meet is held at Eastern Illinois University - I didn't know it in high school, but EIU would become my home for the next 5 years.
Both my brother and I came to Eastern and managed to walk onto the EIU Track team - a huge accomplishment to compete at a Division I level. By my sophomore year, I had become a solid competitor in both the mile and the steeplechase - earning all-conference in both. I had also achieved being named team captain. Although, that would be the end of my collegiate running career due to foot surgery. I tried for over 2 years to compete again, but my foot was not the same. Even though I retired from collegiate competition in the spring of 2010, I still run nearly everyday and still love running more than ever.
Managing Track Meets
Through both my injury and my retirement I still couldn't walk away from the community I have grown into - the track team. I still enjoy being around the track meets, and being a timer or meet manager is a great way for me to stay involved. I manage the FAT (Fully Automated Timing) System and meet management computer network. The timing system has become more complex in it's time (compared to the eight men with stopwatches at the finish line) and now requires a lot of technology. We have a network with 4 computers, 2 FAT Cameras, and a computer updating the website with live results, and on occasion a live webcast. Through helping manage the track meets (and all the technology) I have found a way for me to give back and stay involved with the track team.
Community & Service
After coming to EIU, I became highly involved with the Student Volunteer Center at the Catholic Newman Center on campus. EIU is very blessed to have a church that does so much for the community! Through this organization I have managed to go to Mexico twice to La Granja Hogar a home for Mexican children who would have otherwise have been living on the streets and many other hard living situations. I found both of these trips extremely rewarding and constantly look for ways to help this organization further or return to La Granja myself. I have also been to Matamoros, Mexico in which I spent my time with a different church organization helping to build homes and other living structures for the local community.
I was the president of the EIU Huddle of FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) for 3 years, and help re-establish the group on-campus after the group died off back in the 1980s.
I'm always willing to help when someone needs help - I'm the go-to man for everyone on the track team when people need computer help. I've built many computers for people, and just enjoy using my talents to help others!