Jean Deceus lives in Immokalee, Florida. As of the 2000 census, the 8.2 square mile town had 20,000 residents many of whom were immigrants or migrant workers of Haitan and Mexican descent. Jean's mother Marie only had the chance to get to the fifth grade. His dad Jean D never attended school. Now a senior at Immokalee High School the younger Jean is taking a different path, one his parents never had the opportunity to experience.
"Every morning I thank God for such great parents because they have done everything to get me where I am today. They have been an inspiration because of their hard work. My coach grew up in this town and he is Mexican as well. He tells us to be grateful for what we have today because when he was in school he never had that. We relate to that because our parents never had the things we have today."
In a small town like Immokalee there are not a ton of things to do. Deceus always had a love for running and started taking the sport seriously as a sixth grader. He joined the Immokalee Middle School cross country team, following in his older sister Marie's footsteps. He remembers his first race and says it wasn't the best.
"I remember walking because I went out too fast. I knew nothing about the sport, but RUN. I still got second place for sixth graders. Running is not big in Immokalee, but it is a successful sport. Many other athletes question us and ask us why we run so much? My usual answer is because it's what we love to do. We enjoy what we do because we love to challenge ourselves and reach new heights as student athletes. Running is a great way to get together and have fun in this town because of the lack of activities to do."
Much of the community rallies around the football program, but not so much cross country. Deceus doesn't let this get him down instead making him work harder to bring attention to his sport. He draws inspiration from role models like his sister who ran in middle school and high school, and whose hard work drove her towards success in running and in the classroom. Another person who has had a big impact on the senior his former Indian runner Argeo Cruz who finished 10th at the 2A state meet in 2009.
"Argeo Cruz is such an inspiration to me. I always loved training with him because he would always push me to my potential. One thing he would always tell me is to remember that there is someone out there working harder than you. Those words gave me strength to work harder than I did the day before. Every chance I get to run with Argeo is a blessing. I love everything that he has done for our team and the community."
This year Deceus is having one of his best cross country seasons. Last year he was running in the mid 17 minute range. At the UF Mt. Dew Invitational and the flrunners.com Invitational he broke the 17 minute mark. His time of 16:33.77 at flrunners was a new personal best. He says you can see the difference in success a year's worth of training and focus makes.
"My senior year is going good. I'm taking it one step at a time. My first time at state was good because I got to see how it was and how challenging it was. Last year I decided to get some running in over the summer, but I slacked off because I did not have that motivation. This summer I dedicated it to running because I knew that I was a senior and I had to step it up if I want to be one of the top competitors in the state. I trained with my team, went to camp in North Carolina, and had a blast going hard. Great results are showing off from the work I have put in so far."
Leading those training sessions is coach Hugo Gijon along with coach Galicia. Gijon wasn't expected to lead the Immokalee Indians this year, but after their former coach decided to further his education, Gijon stepped up to the role. Deceus looks up to Gijon not just as a coach, but as a role model as well.
"I have so much respect for him. I trust that everything he makes us do will pay off I just know it. He is a great coach in my eyes. He has always been there for me whenever I needed him and that is the importance of a coach not only to give you workouts or push you to your limits, but also give you the hand when you need one. He was one of my track coaches in middle school and it was a blessing to have him back last year as my high school coach. He has made me a better student, person, and leader."
Those are all qualities of a well rounded individual. Deceus is the definition of a complete student athlete. His day consists of school, tutoring local elementary kids, and then cross country practice. On the cross country course he is a team captain. The senior was also recently voted homecoming king, a sentiment to his impact on his fellow peers and teammates.
"My slogan was vote for Jean the running machine. Most of the students around school know me for my success in the classroom and on the track, or the course, or when they see me running around town. They say that I'm a hard worker and sometimes they come up to me saying that they jogged a mile or two. It may be a piece of cake to runners, but that's how we got started so it's great to see them putting in the effort. My teammates look up to me and I try to motivate them. I get along with every single one. No matter what happens in the race I make sure to tell them good job because we all have bad days. They want to lead like I do during practice. I love to have fun with them, crack jokes, and get them involved because as team captain it's great to make them smile."
Academically, Deceus has a 3.6 grade point average and is planning on making it a 4.0 since he is enrolled in two dual enrollment classes. After school Deceus tutors a group of 14 kids with two other high school students and a regular teacher. He decided to get involved because his sister was also a tutor and he wanted to make a difference in the community and share his knowledge with others.
"My parents are great inspiration because when they get home they are always tired and that is just to support my sister and I. Sports and academics are basically the way out of this town because we are minorities and can't provide for much higher education without any help."
Jean's sister attends USF and had a chance to run for them, but decided to focus on academics. He plans on doing both at the next level. He is unsure of what college he will attend, but has a list of UF, USF, FGCU, and UNF. To run in college has always been a dream of his in a life that despite the obstacles, he says he is blessed to have.
"I have been blessed with the gift to run and the opportunity to get an education because back where I'm from many kids don't have that chance. It's a blessing to know that I have those opportunities. I have been bought with a price and therefore I am blessed."
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