This is the fifth of a series of stories on award winners from the 2016 Seattle University Athletics Awards Show. Stay tuned to GoSeattleU.com throughout the summer for the remaining stories in this series.
It’s hard to imagine someone who won seven conference titles ever feeling like an underdog but for Shaddye Melu, it’s a mentality he’s had to fight throughout his career.
“I’ve always felt like I need to prove something when it comes to athletics. I was the slowest dude on my track team my freshman year of high school, slower than a lot of the girls, and I always felt overlooked in track. But I knew one day I’m going to have an opportunity and I’m going to take it.”
He didn’t let the words of past coaches stand in his way but instead allowed it to fuel his passion and work ethic.
“I couldn’t clear five feet at one point and a coach once said I would never be a good high jumper and that I needed to stop. So I thought ‘I’m going to show you’.”
It’s a good thing he didn’t let some harsh early criticism slow him down, otherwise the name Shaddye Melu may have never been in seven different spots next to WAC champion and gold medalist. That’s right, seven. And the meaning of the number seven is not lost on the man of faith.
“When I won my first one, I added up how many more I could win and it was seven. The funny thing is, Biblically, the number seven is a number of completion so that was another motivation. I knew if I got that number seven, it would be the last one, and the number of completion. So its kind of funny but a real thing that was always in the back of my mind.”
He credits those in his corner – his teammates and coach – for propelling him forward as well.
“My coach [Chad Pharis] was a super good high jumper in college so he knows what I’m doing is good but not necessarily good enough. He’s always pushing me to do more and jump higher and he’s had a huge impact on me.”
He continues, “My teammates have probably been my greatest cheerleaders and my biggest support. One of my teammates said ‘I’m going to break your record’ and I hope he does. I think it’d be really cool if I had an impact and helped pave the way for a really great program.”
He has a special relationship with his brother, also a track athlete, who competed at the University of Oregon and graduated last year.
“When I want to call someone, it’s him, because he’s around elite athletes on a daily basis. I always make sure I’m hearing from the best and I want to know what the pros are doing. It keeps me going and makes me look beyond where I’m at. When I have a good practice, bad practice, or I catch myself getting a big head, I call him and I know he’ll knock me down real quick,” he says with a laugh.
These are the people he competes for, for those who have believed in him when he couldn’t believe in himself.
“When I heard my teammates and other student-athletes behind me and everyone expecting me to win, I no longer wanted to do it for myself. I knew I needed to do it for those who are looking up to me and those who are looking for motivation. I could care less if I were doing it for me but it’s really cool winning for something bigger than yourself because it makes it sustainable.”
This year, winning Student-Athlete of the Year, his academics were a closer match to his athletic success.
“This year I took school a lot more seriously and I think that carried over into athletics as well. If I’m going to win, I figured I might as well win in all areas of my life.”
Summing up four years at Seattle University proves tough but he says, looking back, “It’s been a crazy, amazing ride. Older teammates set the bar for me as a freshman and I hope I’m doing the same for others. Coming in, I wanted to win WAC titles and that was always the goal. It was cool to envision things as a freshman and then have the opportunity to go do it.”