Palisade Senior, Anaiah Guajardo-Zarate, is the female Athlete of the Week brought to you by Palisade Dino Mart. Zarate plays softball in the fall and wrestles in the winter, where she plays center field in softball. Zarate has been playing softball for about twelve years, four of those years (including this year) being played for the Palisade Bulldogs. Zarate has already had seven runs, seven runs batted in, and one homerun. With five games in, Zarate is looking to have a strong season.
Having started softball at four years old, Zarate cannot recall what first got her interested in the sport, but can definitely recall what keeps her going. “What inspires me to keep playing softball is the game itself. It used to be my friends, but eventually I grew to love playing softball so much that I have fun even when we lose or I make a mistake.” Over the course of playing, Zarate has come to appreciate the sport. “My favorite thing about softball is when I’m actively playing it,” said Zarate. “When I’m running down balls in the outfield, when I’m up to bat, or when I’m running bases is when I have the most fun.” Family plays a vast role in Zarate’s life as a student-athlete. “My biggest inspiration in life is my dad,” said Zarate. “He is always trying to make himself better and be a better person overall. In sports, my biggest inspiration is my brother. I’ve seen the hard work he has been willing to put into himself and his passions, even when it means cutting a lot of weight or literally running a couple of extra miles after a three hour wrestling practice. When he commits himself to something, his hard work and dedication is truly unmatched.” These inspirations have guided Zarate to succeed in and outside of softball. “Some of my greatest accomplishments in softball are all the tournaments my competitive team have won, my MVP awards I’ve won, winning all conference all three years in high school (going on four), and hitting over 15 home runs (excluding those in practice).” The hard work Zarate puts into softball is a true testament to her teammates and family of her diligence and commitment in everything that she accomplishes. Congratulations Anaiah on receiving Athlete of the Week!
