As a fourth-year student and athlete at Western Carolina University, Mateius Brown is the epitome of determination and resilience.
Having been a student-athlete for over half of his life, Brown has seen his successes and failures. He has been involved with track and field since the end of his freshman year of high school. Weighing roughly 150 pounds and 5’8″ then, Brown started as a multi-event athlete where he competed in the hurdles and ran. It was not until an injury that Brown saw his first shot put event.
After his first experience with the shot put event, finishing third in a conference championship, Brown continued to build and improve. During offseasons, he would even tweak his techniques to ensure progress. The success was not instant for Brown.
In any sport, success does not come without bumps in the road. Brown remembers a time when he hit his friend in the back of the head with a discus. He also saw one of his biggest supporters in the sport, and close friend, pass away during his sophomore year of high school.
“He believed in me. He believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself,” said Brown. “Him passing away was like that last bit of motivation I needed… that last trigger I needed to go to the next level.”
When Brown came to WCU as a track and field athlete, his first obstacle became evident. An average thrower is 6’3, 250 pounds. Four years into college track and field, he is still a below average thrower, build-wise, at 5’9″, 240 pounds.
While Brown was not blessed with all of the physical qualities that are needed, he knows that he was blessed with the heart of a champion.
Recently, Brown won the shot put for the indoor season at the SoCon Championship and took down the 22-year-old indoor shot put record at WCU. He also bested the 21-year-old outdoor shot put record by almost five feet.
Brown is a double major in Criminal Justice and Communication with a concentration in Public Relations.
He aspires to be a counselor for the adjudicated youth. As a sophomore in high school, Brown was a peer mentor which allowed him to work with sixth and seventh-grade classes. Brown was and still is recognized by his peers as an inspirational leader. He believes that good traits should be put to use.
“If you notice you’re great at writing or you’re great at math. Why not tune in and see how you can implement them in your future,” said Brown.
During summer 2018, Brown will be interning as a juvenile technician in Raleigh.
Brown attributes his public speaking skills to his mom. The fact that she is a well-spoken person rubbed off on him when he was younger. Also, his experiences have aided him in developing those skills. When he was a senior in high school, Brown was the stand-alone host at a freshmen orientation. He carried those experiences and traits into college. In 2017, Brown was one of two hosts at the athletic banquet at WCU. He has also spoken at donor banquets as well as rented out rooms in the University Center to discuss topics, such as persistence and commitment.
“A big part of speaking is becoming the speech. You have to know the material,” said Brown.
Balancing sports and school can be a struggle for some athletes but Brown believes that setting schedules and writing everything out is the most helpful. When it comes to athletic events, most professors are understanding but the important aspect of that is communication. Athletes, in general, face difficulties despite the individual and team successes. During the season, Brown’s days start as early as 4 a.m. with weights and then classes. Finding the time to prepare for assignments and exams while also preparing for a meet can be challenging.
While Brown remains an inspirational leader of his own, he knows who to thank for helping him get this far – family and God. He remembers his track and field coach in high school being that push he needed to throw further and to work for those scholarships. Brown credits his former taekwondo instructors as leaving lasting impacts on his character development. All of the positive influences in his life merged together and allowed for him to recognize and utilize his potential as a person on and off the track.
Trials and tribulations follow along with everything in life. Brown has seen his life shaped by adversity. From a leader on the track to a leader in life, Brown is a public figure on the rise.
Interview with Mateius sharing his road to success, filmed and edited by Morgan Miller.
