To talk with Sakura Roberson is to enter the peace she resides in. But when the La Jolla High School 400- and 800-meter runner erupts from the starting blocks, the explosion of energy stands in sharp contrast to her benign, smiling demeanor off the track.
When Roberson, a sophomore who already owns some fast times at La Jolla High, rockets from her set position and jumps out to sizable leads, she’s competing not so much against opposing runners as against her own abilities. In fact, the 15-year-old goes to her opponents after the race and acknowledges them on their effort. “I believe everyone has an ability,” says Roberson. “This is mine. So I congratulate (the other runners). They can be proud of how they ran. They were down on the track and did their best. Others were up in the stands (and didn’t participate).”
Going fast, she says, “feels great. Not to beat someone. But for yourself. The pleasure-ment of yourself.”
The feeling while she runs is “amazing. You’re going as fast as you can go by what your body can do. Even the burning sensation (when pushing one’s limits)…”
“Well, just running… The wind on your face. You’re in active mode. What your body can go… It’s as fast as you can go–not somebody else. It’s not in a car.”
Roberson, who lives with her grandmother Deborah and five sisters (many or all of whom run or have run, with eldest Deyna the current Vikings hurdles and relays coach), quit basketball after her freshman year. “No,” she says; “I decided track is my future, so I should focus on it. I’m going to go to college with it, and my goal is to go to the Olympics.”
Is sibling rivalry something that has to be dealt with? “Yes, it comes up (among the sisters).” In her one year of basketball, she and sister Satori played on the varsity together. Roberson stands 5’9″, while Satori is 6′, so they played different positions, which lessens the competition a little.
Roberson does run cross-country for La Jolla and was one of the Vikings’ top harriers for coach Robert McCarthy last fall. It’s a little startling to see her, a speed demon over shorter distances, lined up to run a couple miles over hill and dale.
That may be part of the draw: the people aspect. While track and cross-country are individual sports, there is a team factor to them as well. Roberson describes herself as a “people person” who enjoys being with others. This rings true as she spends time after school with classmates and teammates, amiably chatting in her easygoing manner. “I like being around other people. I like interacting with people,” she says.
“I also like spending down time with my family.”
“You’re interviewing one of our athletes who has no ability,” La Jolla head track coach Paul Byrne jokes as he passes by. Roberson is a known quantity already, after a stellar freshman year of performances on the track. She’s also known on campus as a good person. Says water polo and swim coach Tom Atwell (whom Roberson doesn’t have as a teacher): “She’s a nice kid.”
In La Jolla’s unscored tri-meet hosting Castle Park and Hilltop early in the spring season, Sakura burned a 58.6-second, wind-aided 400 meters and a wind-aided time in the 800 meters of 2:23.88. She had a better time in the 800 (2:14.22 wind-aided) in the CIF San Diego Section Finals last May. It’s still early this season.
Roberson also runs the 1600 and legs on the Vikings’ speedy girls 4 x 400 and 4 x 800 relay teams. She recorded a time of 5:26.0 in the 1600 in a dual meet against Cathedral Catholic in March of 2014. In the 400 against Castle Park and Hilltop, she led Satori, a junior, by over four seconds.
She is asked if she could ever see herself running on the professional track circuit in Europe, where track is much bigger than in the United States, after she gets older. “Yes, I can,” she says. “If it has anything to do with running, then I’m for it.”