Since his arrival to America in the fall of 2012, Valentin Poncelet of the men’s cross country team adjusted quickly to the American lifestyle.
“The college lifestyle is very different there. There are no college athletics, only club sports [in Belgium]. So any sports you do are on your own time. I’ve always loved traveling, and I wanted to improve my English,” Poncelet said.
The junior has been running for six years, and had been running at American International College (a small private college located in Springfield, Mass.) before transferring to Georgia State last year.
“The school was too small,” Poncelet said. “It was Division II, and I was All-Conference there. The level of competition wasn’t as high. There were maybe 2,000 students total at AIC, so coming to GSU was definitely very different.”
Although the colleges Poncelet has attended are very different, he claims that there are fewer differences between Belgium and America than one would assume.
“There’s a little more emphasis on sports in America than in Europe. But there’s also more priority placed on global issues and the issues of other nations in Belgium,” Poncelet said. “America is a lot more self-interested.”
Poncelet also explains how coming to America disproved several stereotypes that Europeans have formed in relation to Americans.
“At first I thought that everyone would be lazy and overweight,” Poncelet said. “I assumed that nobody lives a healthy lifestyle and it’s all about eating in America, but I found out that people are much more active than I thought. I see more people running and working out here than I did in Belgium.”
Despite the few differences with Belgium, Poncelet seems to fit in perfectly with the lifestyle of an American athlete.
“We only have about four days off after the season ends. You are always trying to improve as a runner,” Poncelet said.
Yet, there are things that Poncelet believes the university could to a better job on.
“I don’t think there are enough scholarships for the sport at our university,” Poncelet said. “We only have four members of the men’s team. The ideal amount would be about seven. I feel like our team would definitely see improvement if we added a few more scholarships to the program.”
Outside of running, Poncelet noticed other aspects of the United States’ landscape that captivated him.
When asked what his favorite thing about America was, Poncelet was quick to respond, admitting that the weather is much better than the annual cold climate in Belgium.
“I like everything about America for the most part,” Poncelet said. “Although I do miss my family, friends and mother’s cooking.”
Since he lives halfway across the world from home, Poncelet only gets to see his family about twice a year—during the summer and Christmas.
Besides missing his family, Poncelet had to deal with other struggles once he came to America.
The toughest adjustment he had to make was mastering English.
As a business economics major, a strong understanding of communication in the American market is crucial for his success long-term.
Poncelet is still unsure as to what his career plans are, but claims his passion for sports is what guides him most.
