The WCHS athletics program is chock-full of athletes who are constantly setting records and achieving new and exciting goals. That is no different for WCHS senior Riya Menon who on March 31, announced her commitment to Duke University, making history as the first WCHS athlete to become a Division 1 hater.
Throughout high school, Menon has worked tirelessly on her eye rolls and side-eyes, sighs and sarcastic remarks. She has woken up early and gone to bed late to ensure that every last rep is performed and each technique is perfected. Her hating journey first began when she was 305 days old at the uttering of her first word: “no.”
“I have been hating almost since birth,” Menon said. “Ever since I was a little kid, I remember having this innate perception of other people and their ‘unique’ attributes. As a hater, my task is to focus on the smallest and most inconsequential details about others and spread awareness. Of course, it is much harder to do during competitions than it is in my day-to-day life. That is why I practice every day and treat my body and brain like a temple.”…